Dreams and Memories
by Acaranna
Summary: What will happen if the future of both worlds, demon and human world, lies in the past of two young halfdemons?
1. An unexpected call

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Devil May Cry or one of the boys.

This is my first fanfiction in English and I thank my Beta-Reader for finding my mistakes. My story WILL contain violence and it WILL contain slash in the later chapers. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Reviews are always welcome. Please, enjoy!

* * *

Part one: An unexpected call

Five years had passed since the demon gate had been closed again.

Nevertheless, many unnatural and evil creatures still wandered like ghosts, crawling through the nightly streets of New York, always looking for victims.  
Whoever was foolish enough to walk alone through the side streets after sunset experienced a quick and unpleasant death.

Sometimes groups of three or four people disappeared into nowhere, leaving nothing behind except for bereft family and friends.The police department was helpless. There were no hints that there had been fights or at least signs of an act of violence.

The demons mostly lurked near bridges and subway stations and attacked everyone who was coming by.

At one of those subway stations a red-clad figure stood leaning against the wall near the stairs.

The long coat nearly hit the ground, covering the skin tight black leather pants and knee high black leather boots with shimmering silver buckles. Going on up the muscular body a keen observer could identify the little bulges which were on both sides of the slender hips.  
There, hidden from sight, two handguns were hidden, waiting for their master to act – they were called Ebony and Ivory.

But the young man stood motionless with his arms crossed in front of his well-built chest Black leather gloves covered unusually slender hands.

He let his head hang a little so that his long silver bangs covered his icy blue eyes which were able to frighten anyone he looked at.

A bitter smile lay on his lips as he watched two boys struggling over a bottle which probably contained alcohol. The boys were twins, sixteen or seventeen years old, with dark brown hair. Their faces showed the same lines and characteristics. The only difference between them was the length of their hair; one had a short and spiky haircut whereas his brother had a longer ponytail.

The two were drunken and happy and unaware of the danger they were in.

A few meters away in a dark corner, impossible for human eyes to see, a large creature with a long sickle hopped from one foot to the other. Not nervousness but excitement caused the beast to wriggle like jelly.

The boys noticed nothing. Only the bottle was interesting for them. The bottle and who had it.

For a few minutes nothing happened.Then the beast cried out loudly and began to move towards the boys.

For someone who was not involved in the scene it seemed to happen in slow motion. The large red-white creature started running and jumped towards the boys with the sickle raised high above its head and ready to kill.The bottle slowly fell onto the ground and broke.

Dark brown liquid splattered over the ground and shimmered in the dim light.

Eyes wide with fear the twins stared motionless at what was coming for them. It seemed that there was no way out.

No-one could, or would help them.

The beast got nearer. Swinging its sickle, it looked pleased with its prey.  
Both boys had closed their eyes in awareness of the oncoming death, when a loud bang echoed through the subway hall.

Silence fell over the scene.

One of the twins, the one with longer hair, opened his eyes slowly just to stare at ... nothing. He stumbled backward grabbing his brother's shoulder. The other one ripped his eyes open and turned around to flee towards the stairs.

But he stopped dead at what he saw. A young man with a long red coat stood there. His legs were slightly spread and in his right hand he held a black gun which was pointed directly at them. Icy blue eyes stared at them.

For a moment the air seemed to flicker with the tension between them. The silence was deafening.

Minutes passed by but nothing happened until a small laugh ripped the silence apart.

It came from the man in the red coat.

He put his gun back into its holster and relaxed a little before he made his way toward the two boys who still stood like statues. His heels clicked on the ground with every step he made.

The boys began to shiver. They were unsure if this was a better situation than the one before.

The chuckling rose to loud laughter and the red-clad man stopped in front of them.

"Who are you?" the short haired boy asked, his voice trembling.His brother just stared at the guns which hung at the other's hips.  
"Name's Dante, demon hunter," the red-clad answered with his deep voice.  
He flipped a small card out of his pocket and held it in front of the boys' faces.The long haired boy took it gingerly, his hands shaking.  
"Demon hunter?" His brother asked distrustfully. "Demons don't exist!" His voice got smaller with every word, "...do they?"  
The demon hunter, Dante, smiled mildly, his eyes focused on the dust which was the remaining rest of the beast.  
"Sure they exist," he answered quietly tearing his eyes from the ground and staring into the boy's.  
"Or what would you call that beast which attacked you two?"  
"Hallucinations?" answered the boy doubtfully. Dante shook his head and turned to walk away. The boys stood there, not knowing what to do.  
"Go home and try to avoid the subway stations late at night," the half demon suggested as if reading their minds. Slowly he walked toward the staircase. At the bottom stair he stopped, turning around.  
"And stop drinking so much, it's not good for your health," he added. Then he stalked out of the subway.

Behind him he could hear the twins arguing about the things they had experienced. Again a smile appeared on his face, a sad one.  
He thought of his own brother, Vergil. Five years ago they had fought against each other.

He, to save the human world from being mingled with that of the demons' and his brother to open the gate to the demon world.In the end he had seen that they both had been toys for Arkham who had tried to get their father's power. That fight was the only one in which he and his twin had worked together.

After Arkham was defeated he had to face his brother in one last fateful battle.

He realised that it was a bitter victory after Lady, Arkham's daughter, had left for Europe.

He had been alone since that day five years ago. Only in his dreams did he see his brother again.  
They were dark dreams, where he had to relive the battles again. Every night, for five years, he saw his brother falling down into hell.

Dante walked slowly out of the station. The night was cold but the sky was clear.

When he felt the cool air around him he rose his head and looked up to the moon which now was nearly full.  
Most nights ended in the same way: he would sit on his roof staring up at the stars.

Right now the young half breed stalked towards the Hudson River where his shop was situated.  
It was a long way but Dante didn't care.  
He wanted to walk, wanted to think, wanted to forget what had happened.

A fresh wind came up and caused his long hair to get into his eyes.

His long silvery hair had grown and now it was nearly half way down his back. Normally he avoided putting it up in a ponytail but this night he made an exception.

Time went by while Dante was walking through the empty streets.

His thoughts wandered back to the last fight and Vergil's fateful decision.  
He saw himself trying to grab his brother's arm and he could feel the pain when Yamato had sliced his hand.  
Though there was no scar Dante could still see his blood running out of that cut.

Every time he thought about this last meeting with his brother his heart seemed to stop because of the sadness that rose in him.  
There were days and nights where Dante thought about himself and his brother.

Was his twin right and he had too much human than demon in him? Did his feelings – these human feelings- avoid his real power?  
Were these feelings the reason for his wish to rescue the human world?

He stopped and looked up into the sky.

The sight of the clear moon had no answer but it calmed his mind. A sigh escaped his mouth and destroyed the peaceful moment he had stolen.

Shaking his head he started walking again. The streets were silent and empty. There were no human beings outside. Not even the beggars were at their usual places because of the demons.

Sometimes Dante thought of Lady the young huntress and their first meeting. She had attacked him and shot at him three times, but nonetheless they had been a good team at the Temen-Ni-Gru. After she had killed her father she had spent some time with him hunting down the demons which were left. Then she decided to go to Europe to fight there. They kept in touch even if it was only a call at a birthday or at christmas.

Now he missed her.

Though she had been annoying her reasons for getting in his way were understandable, even if he had needed some time to realize it.

The smell of the air changed. Just a little bit but his overaverage abilities sensed it.  
He was near the Hudson River, near his shop. Near home.

Dante looked up and stopped again. In front of him lay the river and the stars were reflected in the dark water. The waves reminded him somehow of his older brother because Vergil was a little like the element water. Normally he was calm and thoughtful- if it came to his plans – but he could be really dangerous and deadly. He for himself was more like the element fire – passionate and – mostly – thoughtless.

A little smile rushed across his face when he remembered the fight against Arkham. The moment he gave Ebony to his brother he felt somehow complete. Back to back with his mirror image – it was a situation in which he hadn't thought about danger or fear – in which he had felt safe.

Since that last time he was off balance and restless. A sigh escaped his mouth and he lowered his gaze. A cold wind came up and the young half demon turned away from the river. He started walking again. Slowly and lost in his memories he made his way toward his shop which was just a few blocks away.

There was no noise around him. No-one, not even the dogs, was outside. Everyone was afraid of the demons. He could understand it.

A cold drop hit him on his face. He stopped and looked up into the sky. The wind had brought dark clouds with him and it began to rain.  
Again he had to smile grimly. It had rained the night when his brother fell into hell.  
Dante lowered his gaze again and looked directly at the neon sign which hung over his frontdoor.

_"Devil May Cry"..._

"Yeah," he murmured, "Devils may cry... If they lose what they love."  
A single tear ran down his face, like the night after the fight.  
He saw his brother's face - not angry or full of hate but with a smile... a picture from the past nearly fifteen years ago.

Dante ripped his eyes from the sign and opened his front door.  
Inside his shop it was dark and cold but he didn't turn the light on because he knew where everything was.

Slowly, closing the door behind him, he walked inside the room and toward the desk.

His answering machine blinked. He had a few new messages - to be more exact he had six.  
Dante pushed the little button and listened.

The first message was a call from a customer who called at least once a week. The young demon hunter took off his coat while the man was talking. Hanging the red coat on the stand he listened to the other messages.  
The first five were customers. One had a problem with Enigmas statues, an other had a few Abysses.  
Nothing too dangerous, nothing too interesting.

He moved away but froze when he heard the last call.  
He turned around and stared down at the little black machine.

"Hey Dante," a female voice said. "It's me, Lady. I guess you're not at home at the moment but please call me. I have something really interesting for you. Okay, see ya."

The silver haired man waited a few minutes then he deleted the messages.Hesitating, he picked up the telephone receiver. Dialing was more difficult because he didn't really want to know what she had to say.

On the other hand he was a little curious because she normally called just at Christmas and the New Years day.  
Breathing in deeply he dialed her phone number.

For a few painfully long moments nothing happened. Then she picked up the phone.

"This is the 'Devils' Fear'", you're speaking with Lady, how can I help you?""Hey Lady, it's me, Dante" the young hunter answered.  
"Oh, hey! How are you?" she wanted to know.  
"Fine, as always," he said with a bored voice. Leaning against his desk he looked over to his mirror.  
His mirror image looked tired, his long silvery hair hung tarnished over his right shoulder. His black clothes were covered with demon dust.  
"Okay, right," she replied, "what do you want?"  
"You called and said you have something interesting for me," he answered bluntly.  
She was silent for a few minutes.  
"There's no reason for being so rude," she complained but went on. "I think I found a gate."  
"What do you mean, a gate?" asked the young demon hunter.  
"It looks like a demon gate but I'm not sure. Anyway, near the gate were more demons than in other places." she explained.  
Dante remaind silent. He looked into the eyes of his mirror self. Part of him hoped that it was a real gate.  
"Hey, are you okay?" Lady asked worriedly.  
"Yeah... yeah, I'm alright. Listen, I'll think about it, okay?" he said shortly and without waiting for an answer he hung up.

Covering his face with both hands he stood there, thinking.

If it was a demon gate then it would be possible to open it and then he could look for his brother."Vergil," he whispered. Moving his hands away from his face he looked into the mirror again. His expression was stern and thoughtful.

After another few minutes he got up and went towards his window. Outside the night was dark, and there was nothing to see.

Dante thought about it but then he made a decision on impulse.  
Turning around and walking to the phone he promised himself to not hope too much.Picking up the phone he dialed a number. First nothing happened. Then...

"Hello, First Choice Airways. May I help you?"  
"Yeah. Can I book a flight please..."


	2. No looking back

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Devil May Cry or one of the boys.

So, after a long time, (too long and I'm really sorry for that) this is my second chapter which is more an interlude than a chapter because it is shorter than I hopend but I hope you like it.

Reviews are always welcome. Please, enjoy!

* * *

Part two: No looking back

Dante woke up abruptly when his alarm clock started ringing. Grumpily he reached over and slammed his hand down on the button to stop the annoying sound.

The silence which overcame the room was unnerving and Dante covered his face with both hands, wanting to hide from the world outside. He was still exhausted but he had to get up to catch his flight to London. Sighing deeply he opened his eyes and sat up. The clock face showed him that it was three o'clock in the morning. His plane left at five thirty. He made a sound that closely resembled a pitiful mew as he realised he was going to have to get out of bed. The young demon hunter was most definitely not a morning person but the thought that there was a way to get his brother back was kind of exciting.

_I hope I can find you Vergil and then we can discuss our problem properly._

He knew that 'discuss' was not the right word. Honestly, problem wasn't really the right word either, considering that each time they met they attempted to kill each other.

They would fight again and that was something he wanted to prevent. He loved the fights,

but he wanted to talk to his brother like he could talk to everyone else, wanted them to actually try and resolve their…issues.

Dante rose reluctantly from his bed and made his way into the bathroom at the end of the hall. Opening the door, he was hit by a draught of icy cold wind that chilled him to the bone. It seemed that he had forgotten to close the window the evening before. Now he had to shower in the freezing cold room, and it wasn't like he'd been particularly warm in the first place. He slammed the window shut with an irritated growl.

"Oh, dammit!" he grumbled and turned on the hot water. Mirrors and windows fogged up immediately. Taking off his shorts he stepped into the shower and let the hot water ran down his head and body, warming up him and the room. Soon his long silvery hair was glued to his skin. After a few minutes of relaxing he took his shampoo and washed his hair. He stood in the shower for a little while longer after this act of hygiene, enjoying the sensation.

Stepping out of the shower he took a towel and wrapped it around his waist. As he padded back to his room, he thought again of his brother.

Memories made their sluggish way out of his subconscious. He remembered something from his past. Something about his brother and him. Thoughtfully Dante walked to the large window right opposite his bed.  
The sky was cloudless and he could see the stars and nearly feel the cold air around him.

Nineteen years ago it was a night like this...

_** Flashback  
**_

It was a cold November night. The sky was dark blue and covered in shimmering stars and a full moon looked down over the world serenely. No cloud tried to cover this beauty. No sound interrupted the peaceful silence which lay upon the land. Nothing but the voice of a woman as she sang a good night song to her children. She had a wonderful voice, soft and gentle. Listening was a pleasure.

Her sons must have thought that too because they lay in their beds and made no attempt to disturb their mother. Both had piercing blue eyes that were dull with tiredness and bright silvery hair that stood a little spiky around their faces. Both boys yawned and closed their eyes when their mother finished her song. Smiling affectionately, she stood up and kissed each twin on the forehead. Long blond strands fell over her shoulder as she turned around and walked to the door where a man stood. She smiled warmly when she looked back over her shoulder to her boys who were apparently sleeping deeply. Quietly she closed the door behind her. But the boys weren't sleeping.

"Vergil? Are you awake?" a small voice broke the silence.

One of the boys rose a little. He wore red pyjamas that shone like blood in the pale moonlight that seeped in through the window. His brother sat up and looked over to him. His pyjamas were a similar style to the other boy's, but they were blue instead.

"No, I can't sleep," he answered quietly.  
"Do you think that mummy and daddy are leaving us alone?" the little boy with the red pyjama whined.  
"No, Dante, I don't think they'll leave us," Vergil replied, but the truth was that he wasn't sure of the answer himself. His little brother, Dante, sat on his bed and stared out of the window. The wind had suddenly picked up and had brought clouds to cover the pristine beauty of the night sky. It started to rain; heavy drops crashing against the glass as if trying to find a way in. The twins looked out of the window and shivered simultaneously.

"Vergil?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Can I sleep in your bed?" Dante's voice was barely audible.  
"Yeah, okay," answered Vergil and lifted his blanket. As fast as he could the younger twin rushed out of his own bed into his brother's. There he snuggled up against the warm body next to him. Vergil sighed and stroked his brother's back. After a while he felt Dante moving.

"Vergil?" the soft voice of his brother sounded from his chest.  
"Hm?" he murmured in reply.  
"You won't ever leave me, will you?"  
"No, Dante, never! I'll never leave you. No-one can separate us!"  
The words were spoken with such intensity that Dante shivered.  
"Then I can sleep," was the last thing he said before the sleep overcame him.  
Vergil looked down at his brother.  
"No-one will take you away from me!" he said closing his eyes and giving into the tiredness. Outside a storm was approaching.

**_ Flashback end  
_**

Shivering, the now 25-year-old demon hunter turned away from the window and went over to his closet. Most of the clothes that he owned were already packed into an old and battered suitcase. The last things were a pair of black pants, a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black boots. A belt with his guns on hung tight around his hips. The swords were safely covered in the middle of his suitcase. With their demonic aura they weren't detectable at the airport and he wouldn't have to worry about getting them out of America and into England.

Putting on his clothes Dante glanced one last time at the mirror at the door of his closet. The face which returned the look was pale and surrounded by long silver strands which shimmered wetly. The deep blue eyes were tired and full of sorrow. Somewhere in the depth of these dark oceans a little flame of hope arose and he felt slightly less cold inside.

Dante turned around and allowed his eyes to flicker around the room that had been his home for nearly seven years. It should have hurt to leave all that behind – at least a little bit. But somehow he felt relieved. He had been beginning to feel trapped here, in a life that was possibly too secure, too…well, familiar. It felt good to cast it off, to live with a little more uncertainty. He smiled, and thought of the future ahead, a future that might include him and Vergil together again. He wasn't quite sure why he had remembered that particular evening but he felt that it had to be important. Maybe it was a good omen. The young half breed picked up his coat silently. It seemed to be a sacrilege to disturb the peaceful silence which still lay on the room.

Smiling sadly he took his suitcase and went to the door. There he turned again and looked back – at two little boys who snuggled up in the same bed – one with red pyjamas and one in blue.

"No-one can separate us," The words echoed in his mind.

_Well, Vergil, it seemed that there was something that separated us. But I'll find you. I promise!_

Dante turned away from the scene and stepped out of the room. Going down the stairs he took a last glance on everything he would leave behind.

His desk with the black phone where he accepted his missions. The red leather couch which always seemed to invite him to take a quick nap on it. The pool table that had had to be repaired countless times and of course his beloved jukebox.

Standing in the middle of the room he inhaled the calming scent of leather and wood. It would be a long time until he smelt that mixture of scents again.

Outside he heard someone honk their car horn.

_It seems the cab is here._

Sighing heavily Dante turned his back on his home and made his way to the door. On the threshold he stopped again and looked down at the doorknob.

_With this little thing it all started. When Arkham opened this door..._ Dante knew that this wasn't the original door knob but he couldn't prevent the cold feeling which arose inside him.

The honk sounded again.

Straightening his shoulders he grabbed the knob and opened the door. Stepping outside he was welcomed by the freezing air of the night.

"Well then, here we go!" he said quietly going through the door. The door shut with a soft click, an oddly final sound. He looked down the little flight of steps and saw the garish yellow cab and the annoyed driver sprawled across a seat inside. Slowly he went towards the car dragging his heavy suitcase, weighed down by the massive swords contained within it. He ended up having to help the driver load it into the back of the cab, it weighed so much. He could see the driver wondering exactly what was in it. Dante suppressed a smile. If only he knew.

"We have to hurry, Sir, or else you'll miss your flight," the man said in a strong Italian accent. Dante nodded and went to the door but before he got into the car he lifted his head and took a look at the moon. It was full and beautiful, shining benevolently, heavy in the sky, as if blessing his journey.

He turned his head from it abruptly and entered the cab. The driver started with an impatient snort and they were on their speedy way to the airport. The man evidently wanted to get his client to the destination as fast as possible, and had no compunction in breaking as many of the speed laws as possible on the way.

Dante did not once look back at his shop, where the bright neon sign shone as if it wanted to ward away the dark from the house until its owner returned home.


	3. The Stranger

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Devil May Cry or one of the boys.

So, after a long time, (too long and I'm really sorry for that) this is third chapter and, to be honest, it is more a part of the third but the original one was too long so I had to cut it into three parts.

Reviews are always welcome. Please, enjoy!

* * *

Part three: The Stranger

The New York airport was as crowded as ever.

People wandered from one side to the other looking for their gate or someone who would pick them up. Happy smiles lay on all of their faces and it seemed that they had no idea what was waiting on the outside. The danger which was out there was of no interest to them.

Dante shook his head. He couldn't stand these family reunions.

_How is it possible that they laugh when a few blocks away a child loses his family? Don't they see the death coming up the road?_

Straightening his shouldershe sighed deeply and picked up his suitcase.

_All these happy faces are making me feel sick.__I couldn't care less about them. I have to find you, brother._

Walking through the masses of laughing or screaming human beings he wondered if he could use his Air Hike to get to his terminal faster; but of course, it would create a massive panic, and attract a lot of attention, two things he didn't want. It would be problematic to say the least.

So he had to wait, curbing his impatience, until the queues moved forward a little and he could at least see the terminals. Mumbling nasty things about demons and human beings under his breath, which earned him an odd look from the man standing next to him, he eyed his surrounding area. There was nothing interesting to see but he had no idea what else he could do but observe the masses of humanity that swarmed by him.

_The only thing that sucks more than demons is boredom, _he thought and looked around again.

Patience wasn't one of his abilities and he wasn't sure if he really needed it or wanted it.

After a few minutes of unnerving noises and unfriendly words he felt a light touch on his elbow. He turned around, ready to unleash his irritation on whoever had touched him and looked into the face of a man who was about forty years old. His dull brown hair was uncombed and his tie hung around his neck like a gallows rope.

Raising his eyebrows he gave the man a hostile look.

"I didn't do anything, Sir!" the man stuttered waving his hands defensively.

"Hm," Dante answered with a dubious expression, starting to turn back again when he was stopped by a second touch.

_What the...?_

Lowering his gaze he looked into a pair of dark green eyes which shimmered with amusement. They belonged to an old woman who smiled warmly at him. She was about half Dante's height with grey strands of hair that fell like waves around her wrinkled face. Years ago she must have been a beautiful woman... but age had ravaged her face. Only her eyes had life, and Dante found himself staring into their depths. They were ageless and wise, seeming to look beyond time.

"Hello, dear boy," she said, in a voice that shook gently.

"You look like a strong man. Would you be so kind as to help me with my heavy suitcase, please?"

Dante felt her eyes on him and felt a strange prickling feeling go through his body.

It was like she could see right through the masks that he arranged around himself and straight into his soul. He disliked that intensely, but somehow he couldn't prevent himself from answering.

"Sure I can help you, ma'am."

"Thank you, you won't regret it." She smiled again and pointed at a large, blue-black trunk which was nearly as high as she was. The young half demon looked from the trunk to the woman and back again.

"That's yours?" he asked suspiciously. She nodded her head and twinkled. Again Dante looked over to the suitcase. It seemed impossible that the huge suitcase could belong to the tiny little woman but she grabbed his hand and laid it on the grip.

_Okay, that's obvious, _he thought and took the trunk. It was not as heavy as it had looked and it was definitely lighter than his own.

The old woman smiled again and took a step to stand next to him. In front of them stood a girl with a yellow tank top and a long green skirt that looked more like grandma's curtains than a cloth.

_How can someone wear that kind of cloth without having an allergic reaction? That borders on bodily harm! _Dante took his eyes off the girl and observed the old lady next to him.

She wore a really long, grey skirt and a white blouse. It was decent and didn't hurt his eyes. Her long hair shimmered smoothly and went down half way her back.

She looked exactly like the stereotype of a good old granny. Except for the eyes.

"Hey, er, may I ask what your name is, please?" Dante tried to stay calm and polite although the noise of three children running through the crowd behind him was causing a painful headache to rise behind his forehead.

The lady gave him a knowing look and answered.

"I'm Rosalie and you are...?"

Thin eyesbrows were raised. The young demon hunter felt uneasy under her observation.

"Name's Dante," he said and took the offered hand to shake it. For an old lady who could barely carry her suitcase she had a strong handshake.

"Dante," she repeated slowly like she wanted to taste it.

"Sounds nice. I'm pleased to meet you!"

Again Dante felt like she was able to see right through him. To avoid her penetrating look he moved his eyes away from her face and let them wander around the area again.

_This is going to take forever, _he thought, as he watched the seemingly endless queue ahead of him.

In front of them the girl shifted her position and threw an interested glance over her shoulder. It seemed that she wanted to flirt with him.

Rosalie looked at him then at the young girl. Grinning like the Cheshire Cat she tapped on the girl's shoulder.

"Dear girl," she said in a low voice.

The girl turned around and looked at her then her eyes flickered to Dante. She tried to catch his eyes, but he wasn't interested in her.

"Dear girl, would you be so kind and let an old woman and her nephew pass by? My legs hurt and I don't know how long I can stand the waiting." Rosalie's voice was pleading. The girl looked down into Rosalie's eyes.

A few seconds passed then the girl's expression went blank.

"Sure, go ahead." She said and pointed forwards.

"Thank you, dearie," Rosalie answered and waved Dante to follow her.

The young half breed had observed the situation and now he was sure that Rosalie wasn't just an old woman.

"Dante?" he heard her voice.

"What?... Yeah, I'm coming," he shouted and moved past the people.

He didn't care if he knocked against the others as he passed them. His thoughts were clouded and he didn't know why. He couldn't seem to summon a memory of his brother's face.

_Why am I unable to see my brother's face? He looks exactly like me!_Dante tried to get an image of himself but somehow even that wasn't possible. It was like all memories of Vergil had been removed from his mind.

Rosalie went on tapping on shoulders and they got along quite well. There were just three people left then they would be able to check in. Two business men and a teenage boy whose expression showed that he really would rather be anywhere but there.

"My apologies, Sir, but would you mind if an old woman and her nephew would pass you?" she asked politely and her eyes caught the man's.

"Well, I..." he started answering but stopped dead when his eyes met Rosalie's.

The young demon hunter stood next to them and had a good view of her face.

_What the hell? _He asked himself as he saw the dark green eyes glowing unnaturally.

_How is that possible? _

"Rosalie?"

"Yes my dear?"

"May I have a word with you, please?"  
"Oh, can it wait till we are in the plane?"

She looked at him and he saw her try her little glowing eye trick on him as well. Dante lowered his gaze quickly and nodded his head.

"Sure," he said slowly.

"Good!" was the only reply.

No one seemed to see her eyes sparkling and it didn't surprise him anymore. If she could manipulate the people around then it wasn't a suprise that they didn't see her unnatural eyes.

Dante was sure that she was at least a half demon, too, but he couldn't ask her right now.

The only thing he could do was to follow her till the masses thinned out. Then he would have a word with her.

_She has a few things to explain to me!_ He said to himself while he passed the last two people.

At the terminal sat a woman who wasn't even thirty years old. Her blue eyes were heavy from tiredness and her smile was worn out.

"Good morning, Ma'am," she greeted Rosalie first.

"Sir," a soft nod into his direction.

"May I see your tickets, please?"

Dante gave her his ticket and then he watched Rosalie gave hers. Again he could see how the dark green eyes glowed hypnotically.

_She's creepy!_ He thought while he observed the change of the woman at the check in terminal. Slowly her expression went from astonished to frightened to blank. The blue eyes looked into nowhere as she asked them to put their suitcases onto the scales.

"Everything is perfectly fine, my dear!" he heard Rosalie whispering. "It is not over the weight limit. We have to hurry and you should go to sleep, dear!"

The woman nodded emotionlessly then gave the tickets back and wished them a comfortable flight in a monotone voice.

Rosalie took hers and strode away confidently without looking if Dante would follow.

The young half breed waited a few moments then he started following. He had no idea what kind of creature Rosalie was but she was definitely not human.

Dante picked up the suitcases and together they went on.

Behind him he could hear someone screaming. Turning around he saw that the woman they had talked to before had collapsed. People were gathering around and gawping.

"That was you, right?" he asked Rosalie while he speeded up to catch up with her.

"What was me?" she replied innocently not looking into his face.

"You made the girl collapse, right?" he accused, staring stubbornly at the ground so she couldn't use her trick on him.

"And if I was the one who did it? What would you do?" She didn't even stop to wait for the answer. Dante shook his head.

"But why?" He was irritated. It was quite helpful when they stood in the rows but the woman hadn't really been in their way. He had had enough money to pay the fine for being over the weight limit but she had manipulated her, too.

"Because she needed some sleep," was the simple answer.

Dante stopped and stared at her.

"She needed sleep? That's it? That's the only reason?" he wanted to yell but he felt his throat getting tight. Rosalie stopped, too, but she didn't turn around.

"Was it a mistake to help her getting some sleep?" she wanted to know.

Dante couldn't answer that. He was furious but he controlled himself.

"We should go on," Rosalie proposed. Silently he nodded and started walking again.

A few minutes passed by while they walked next to each other in perfect silence then the entrance showed up.

"Oh fuck!" Dante stopped dead letting both suitcases fall down to the ground. Rosalie looked at him alarmed.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly.

"I think I forgot something," he answered slowly, gazing down to his hips.

He had Ebony and Ivory hanging in their holster on his hips like he was used to. If he tried to put them into the suitcase they would gather the attention of the security team. If he kept them on then he was in trouble. Both were something he wanted to avoid.

Rosalie smiled softly.

"I'll help you, under one condition!" she said.

"That would be?" he asked suspiciously. He didn't trust her in the first place.

"You don't ask me what you want to know till we are in London!" She had a perfect poker face so he couldn't say if she was joking or serious. Finally he gave in.

"Okay, but when we are in London you're going to answer my questions!" He wanted to make it clear that he didn't usually negotiate like this.

"Deal!" she said and went on.

They came to the security men who wanted to know if they were smuggling drugs, weapons or other illegal stuff.

_Idiots!_ Dante thought. _As if someone would really tell them if they were carrying something illegal in their suitcases!_ A grim smile appeared on his face when he stepped through the gate. Like he'd expected, it beeped furiously as it detected the metal of his guns.

"Sir," one of the security guards started but was interrupted by Rosalie.

"I'm sorry, dear," she said softly." It so happens that my nephew has recently had a piercing done at a very private place."

Dante blushed at her words.

_Couldn't she think of something else?_ He growled silently. His face was as red as his coat and he could see the men smiling smugly at him.

"Why don't you show us?" a young one asked him trying to sound seductive. _Why the hell does everyone seem to be hitting on me today? _Dante thought in exasperation, before turning round and smiling dangerously at him.

"Sorry, honey, but I already have a boyfriend and he's really jealous. So if I tell him that I had to show you what I actully had done for him..."

He could see the colour of the other one fade away.

"May I go through, please?" he gave the man a cold look.

"Er," the other one stuttered.

"Sure. Have a nice flight." He blushed slightly when Dante passed him.

On the other side he waited for Rosalie to go through the gate and for their suitcases to be given back.

The old woman smiled at him in a manner he didn't like then she moved on.

"Okay, dear, let's get into the plane," she smiled at him.

Growling, he took the suitcases and followed her.

Behind him he could hear the security guards discussing his ass even though it was covered with his coat.

"Couldn't you use anything else other than a piercing?" He scowled at her. She smiled and carried on walking.

_Why am I asking?_ He decided he didn't really want to know where she'd come up with the idea of a piercing. Sighing deeply again he decided think about what he would ask her when they arrived in London.

_Well, Vergil, what else am I supposed to bear before I will find you?_ Again he tried to summon his brother's face. It still refused to appear. Maybe he should ask Rosalie about it?

_No. She's part of the cause of this bloody headache I have. And she certainly doesn't need to know about why I'm here. _Dante scowled quietly while he was putting the suitcases onto the assembly line. He watched his weapons disappear into the wall.

_I hope that my babies won't be sent to Australia! _Dante had a bad feeling but he ignored it.

"Rosalie, how long...?" he turned around and found the annoying old lady gone. She was nowhere to be seen.

"What the fuck?" he hissed. "Where the hell did she go?"

A family standing near him began to edge away, freaked out expressions on their faces. He ignored them, wondering where on earth the old lady had gotten to.

Suddenly he was torn away from his musings by an announcement which told him that his flight would leave in ten minutes. Dante cursed, and began to move towards the terminal gate.

"At least the plane is on time!" he said to himself as he boarded it.

Slowly he went through the lines of seats looking for his own. He had asked for a place on the window side so he could concentrate on something else other than his search for his brother. Dante gritted his teeth as a couple of small children ran down the aisle shrieking. It was hard not to yell at those damn kids who seemed to think that the plane was a perfect playground.

After a minute he found his seat. It was nearly in the middle of the plane but that didn't matter to him. He sat down and tried to relax when he felt someone taking the seat next to him. He glanced over and cursed his luck. Next to him sat a ten year old boy with a big brown teddybear. His hair was dark brown and really short. The boy wore glasses. He didn't look at Dante, who was glad for it.

Now that he was seated tiredness overcame him.

It was still early and listening to the safety instructions was boring. Near to the end he began to doze off... until the loud engine woke him up.

His journey had really started, he realized.

_I'll find you, Vergil, I promise!! _ Dante's thoughts drifted away. He thought about Lady, and Rosalie, and then he tried to summon his brother's face again. His mind's eye was only met with a complete blank.

_Why can't I see you? _he asked into the upcoming dawn. He suppressed a yawn and watched the lights below him getting smaller and smaller.

A soft touch caught Dante's attention. He turned and stared into the black eyes of a big teddy bear. _Oh crap _he thought. _Now I'm going to have to talk to this stupid kid. _.

"You're looking so sad!" a soft voice said. The bear was lowered and he could see the young boy smiling up to him innocently. Dante couldn't prevent himself from smiling back.

"I'm not sad," he replied quietly, "I'm just tired."

"Then you should get some rest!" the boy announced, his voice suddenly changing, sounding more authoritive.

Dante's eyes widened.

"Rosalie?" he whispered in shock, recognising it instantly.

"You should get some sleep, dear."

Dark green eyes started to glow and this time the young demon hunter couldn't turn his eyes away. He felt his lids getting heavier and his mind clouding.

"You'll need to rest before you can look for your brother." Now it was the voice of a boy again.

"How…do...you...?" His voice trailed off and he drifted away into the dark embrace of sleep.

Next to him sat a ten-year-old boy who was holding his teddybear tightly to his chest.

"Sleep, Dante, and you'll find Vergil."


	4. Finding Him

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Devil May Cry or one of the boys.

So, after a long time, (too long and I'm really sorry for that) this is the fourth chapter and it is the second part of the original third chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it like I enjoyed writing it.

Reviews are always welcome. Please, enjoy!

* * *

Part four: Finding him

Dante woke up lying flat on his back. His head hurt like hell and nausea roiled in his stomach. In short, he felt hungover. With a groan he opened his eyes to see nothing but red around him. Red of all shades- crimson, scarlet, vermilion, carmine. All were so deep and intense that his eyes hurt just looking at him.

_Where the hell am I? _He asked himself, trying to get enough air into his lungs. The air was hot and difficult to breathe. Dante tried to take a deep breath but ended up coughing because of the unusual thickness of the air. He wasn't used to it.

His first attempt in standing up failed because his vision went greyish and small lights swam dizzily in front of his eyes. He fell back down again, landing hard on the red ground.

_Why the hell can't they get a better colour scheme? _He thought irritably. He was beginning to really dislike the colour red. Grumbling, he tried again. This time he first knelt on the floor, before standing up slowly using a convenient nearby wall as a support. The wall was red like all the others but he could have sworn that it hadn't been there moments ago.

He took a look around and found himself in a cave of red stone. It was lit by an invisible source that cast shadows that varied in colour from orange-red to dark red to total blackness.

Touching the wall next to him again Dante realized with faint shock that it was warm, although not as hot as the air around him. He had to cough again. He had no idea where he was and how long he would have to stay so he had to try to get used to the unnatural environment.

Suddenly a ringing bell and high laughter caught his attention. He knew these noises and he knew them pretty well.

_Can't they just leave me alone? Do they have to disturb my search?_ He sighed and turned around to face his opponent. A mere bother of course; the fight would be over in a couple of minutes, but still…He really wasn't in the mood right now.

Out of habit Dante reached for Ebony and Ivory, only to find them gone.

"What the...?" he hissed in shock and grabbed for Rebellion on his back. His sword, too, wasn't where it should have been. Now the situation became more of a problem.

How should he fight against a demon without his weapons? Surely he was able to win in a fistfight but would he be able to win against someone without a real body to hit?

_Maybe I should hide somewhere just as long as I need to figure out were I am and how the hell I'll get out of here!_ Dante thought but before he was able to look around for a good place the demon came through the wall. It was a Hell Vanguard just like he had expected.

"Oh shit!" he cursed his luck. The demon raised its sickle, and Dante knew this would be his last moment on Earth, or off it, depending on where he was. Even with his Air – Hike he wouldn't be able to get out of reach of that bloodthirsty creature because of the low ceiling.

_I wish it would be you, Vergil, who puts my life to an end._

Closing his eyes he expected to feel the sickle separate his head from his body at any second.

But ...

The only thing he felt was a sudden coldness surrounding him. It was quite refreshing after the great heat he had experienced.

Dante opened his eyes and himself surrounded by darkness. _Thank God there's no more red! _Was his first thought, then:

_Am I dead?_ he asked himself while he tried to see something through the black.

_No, that can't be! But I have to be dead because if I were alive I would be sitting inside a plane and would be on my way to London right now! Looks like I'm dead then._

His thoughts stopped when the darkness turned slowly back into red. _Damn,_he thought muzzily. When his vision was back to normal again the heat hit him like a punch into the stomach. His sight blurred and he swayed a little. He tried to breath but somehow it didn't work and his lungs felt like they were going to explode from the pressure of the air as he inhaled.

Falling onto his knees he heard his blood rushing through his body and every heartbeat pounded inside his head. His eyes filled with tears of pain and then ...

The pressure disappeared from his chest and he could breathe as easily as on earth. The adrenalin which was rushing through his veins caused his body to shake gently. Swallowing hard he reached a hand up to wipe away the salty liquid that had run down his cheek. A smile appeared on his lips.

"Well, if I'm in hell then I can start looking for you Vergil," he whispered, fighting the urge to laugh. Standing up he noticed that his body had no more problems with the atmosphere. He could easily move up and down. Now the only handicap was his lack of weapons.

"Even without my weapons I will rescue you... if you have to be rescued," he muttered to himself.

Straightening his shoulders the young demon hunter turned around and made his way toward a corner where he thought the light had been a little brighter. He hoped that this was his way out of that bloody cave.

Dante stepped around the corner and found a long, shimmering, red tunnel. He stopped and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Chuckling quietly he shook his head.

"Oh, I love these tunnels. Don't they say you have to go towards the light at the end? Let's see how long I'll have to walk until I find said light," he said to himself amusedly. Throwing one last glance over his shoulder he started walking through the tunnel.

Dante walked for what seemed like hours. It felt as if the tunnel would never end, and Dante was beginning to feel a touch claustrophobic. Every stone looked the same as all the others, even down to the tiny spider webbing cracks that spanned them, and that wasn't just annoying but unnerving too. No change, no distraction caused the half breed to stop thinking about his current situation ... and that was the last thing he really wanted to do.

He stopped and made a full turn till he looked back into the direction he was going.

"How long is this fucking tunnel?" he yelled but all he got as an answer was silence. His scream had no echo. Totally pissed, he started walking again.

"If only there was a door or something like that!" he had just muttered when something caught his attention.

Hidden in a dark red shadow was a small wooden door which he hadn't seen before. It confused him a little because he looked very carefully when he walked through the tunnel and he was sure that this door hadn't been there when he had looked moments ago.

Dante stared at the door hard, as if it could give some clue as to how it had suddenly appeared, and where from. Surprisingly enough, the door made no answer, preferring to let him stay in the dark.

"Well then, let's see what's behind door number one!" he said sarcastically and laid one hand on the doorknob. It opened easily and Dante stepped through the door. Behind it lay a small chamber which contained nothing but a small and dirty cot on which a worn-out mattress was placed. On one side the straw was already coming out.

The young demon hunter wrinkled his nose when he smelled the stale air. It carried the scent of death and decay in it. Looking further around he noticed a second door on the other side of the cell.

_I hope you're not around here somewhere, Vergil_, he thought, suddenly having a very bad feeling. It was like a stab through his heart when he imagined his brother in one of these cells.

Shaking his head to clear it of those morbid thoughts he made his way through the small room; it was only about 3 paces wide. He rested his hand of the doorknob and turned it with more force than was strictly necessary.

Even with that, it didn't work right away – but after a little more violence the door gave in. Slowly it opened onto a hallway. Stepping out of the room he looked from right to left and right again. In each direction there were more doors than he could count. The corridor was scantily lit, and seemed to extend in both directions endlessly.

He was in a dungeon. That much was clear.

Dante decided to turn to the left to see where it would lead him.

His footsteps made no noise but it didn't bother him. He was too tense and excited to pay any attention to something so little. He walked on. Again, he had the feeling that there was no end to the corridor.

_Vergil, I hope you're still alive so this whole thing is worth something!_ Dante addressed his absent brother.

_You know what? I think I would walk through the whole hell and back, just for one meeting, even if it ends in a fight._

The young demon hunter smiled sadly when he stopped. Raising his eyes he looked straight into a mirror.

The image showed him a young man with long silvery hair and pale blue eyes which looked both sad and tired.

Then it changed into a man who had identical silvery hair and pale blue eyes but the expression on his face was stern and relaxed at the same time.

"Vergil...," Dante whispered and reached out to touch the mirror. He hesitated for a second but then he laid his hand flat on the surface. At first he felt nothing – no coldness and no resistance. It was strange. Almost like the mirror didn't actually exist. Small ripples emanated from where he had placed his hand but Dante didn't notice, too preoccupied with the image of his brother staring back at him.

After a short moment Dante let his forehead rest against the mirror and breathed slowly. It didn't fog up and that made him shiver somehow. Why weren't there any noises when he walked or talked or even screamed? Why didn't the mirror fog up? Little things, to be sure, but they were a constant reminder that he wasn't on Earth and that he was completely out of his element.

"Do I even exist anymore?" he asked himself while he breathed against the mirror again.

It still didn't fog up.

"Oh, Vergil, where the hell are you?" Dante yelled and slammed his fist into the middle of the mirror.

It went right through it.

Dante drew his hand back and looked at it. His fingers were covered in ice but he didn't feel coldness or pain. He felt nothing.

"Is that the way, Verge?" he asked into the oppressive silence.

"Do you want to lead me? Well, then!" Dante smiled and took a few steps backwards.

"I WILL find you!" he rushed forward and jumped right through the mirror. There was nearly no resistance and he landed on the other side without any sound.

Standing up again he found himself in a room luxurious enough for a king.

A large bed filled the middle of the chamber. On each end stood a trunk which was decorated with lots of runes and demonic art. The walls of the chamber were covered in dark crimson velvet as was the floor. The windows showed a dark red sky with swirling black clouds and in front of them stood a table with three chairs around it.

In one chair sat a man. He had long brown curls which waved over his broad shoulders. He was clothed in crimson leather (_matches the room_ thought Dante sarcastically) and a long coat decorated with silver chains hung over the back of the chair. In one black gloved hand he held a glass filled with a blood red liquid. Dante saw that in his other hand he held a thick chain which snaked over the legs of the man and disappeared under the table.

His stomach turned.

_This is weird!_ He thought and slowly made his way toward the bed and the man. It confused him that this man who seemed to be a demon lord didn't notice him. He'd just fallen into the room and now he came towards him without even bothering to hide.

_He should sense me! Hell, what the fuck is happening here?_

Suddenly the man moved and looked down at the ground. As fast as he could Dante slipped behind one of the trunks. A soft laugh came from underneath the curls.

"You know, my dear boy," a light voice said. "Your blood has an exquisite taste, full of fear and pain. I could get used to that." He raised the glass to his lips and took a sip. Then he tugged forcefully at the chain. A soft whimper sounded from the ground and caused the man to giggle.

"Well, well, my dear, where has your pride gone? Where is your strength?" he laughed and stood up. Again he tugged at the chain and lifted the other end.

The hidden demon hunter lost his breath when he saw who was on the other end. His brother, who was his beloved enemy, hung helplessly on the chain – like a dog. His back was covered with lash scars and open wounds that bled sickeningly onto what little skin there was left unmarred.

"Oh, dear, maybe I should give you a rest!" the man chuckled. "Or else you might die too soon and I wouldn't want to lose my little toy!" His brother gave no answer. The demon lord took another sip of Vergil's blood. That was too much for the younger twin. He growled and took a step forward only to stop again when someone knocked at the door.

"Yes?" the light voice asked as its owner casually threw Vergil back to the ground. Dante was sure that he could hear his brother cry out softly. His anger increased when he observed the scene.

The door opened and someone stepped inside. He couldn't see who it was but it had to be a demon.

"My Lord, I'm sorry for interrupting you but the High Lady wants to see you," came the answer.

"Oh and what does she want?" the man asked and placed the glass on the table. Taking his coat he turned around and rushed toward the door.

"I hope you're enjoying this little rest, dearest Vergil, because when I'm back you're going to please me again."

With a last laugh he left and the door fell shut.

Dante stepped out of his hideaway. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do first: Look after his brother or chase after that son of a bitch. Slowly he went over to the table. He tried to prepare for the sight but it did no good.

In front of him, curled on the ground, laid his brother Vergil, covered in his own blood. The pale body shivered and soft sobs came from him as his blood spread out across the floor around him.

"Vergil," Dante whispered with a thick lump in his throat and kneeled down next to him. He reached out and wanted to touch his brother's shoulder but he hesitated. What if his hand went right through him? What if he couldn't touch him, couldn't do anything to help his brother?

Dante swallowed the lump inside his throat and reached out again tentatively. He wanted to feel his brother so badly, wanted to know that he was at least still alive, if not alright.

Slowly he placed his hand on Vergil's shoulder and smiled a little. He was able to feel the warmth of the skin underneath his fingers.

'Vergil,' he half whispered, his voice hoarse with sorrow. No reaction.

"Vergil," Dante tried again a little louder. This time his elder brother turned around and his blue eyes looked up to him. They were clouded and puffy because of the tears he had shed.

"Dante?" he whispered, confused, reaching upwards. His pale blue orbs shimmered slightly.

"Yeah," the younger one smiled softly. His hand moved from Vergil's shoulder up to his face and wiped away the tears softly.

"Hold on, Vergil, I'll get you out of here! I don't know how and I don't know when but I will get you out of this place and back to earth! Believe me!"

Vergil's hand stopped midair. It seemed that he hadn't really heard his brother's words.

"No, you won't... You're not real... You're just another illusion," his voice broke and he let himself fall back onto his side. Curling up tightly into a foetal position he forced himself to stop shivering. Dante could see the effort it took him, and his heart ached.

"I'm not an illusion!" Dante said fiercely. "I don't know if I'm dead or something like that. Maybe this is some kind of dream but I promise you, I'll free you and we will go back... together!!" Dante placed his hand on Vergil's shoulder and drew him back so he was looking at him. Slowly the young demon hunter reached down and embraced his brother. He knew that this would end soon. He had found his brother and now he was more eager to find him than he had ever thought he could be.

"Believe me brother! Believe me!" he whispered.

Carefully, hesitantly, Vergil's arms returned the embrace. He nodded softly.

"Please, Dante, hurry! I don't know how long I will survive!" Vergil's voice died and he drew back a little.

"I will, Vergil, I will!" Dante looked down and he saw a small ray of hope deep inside the blue orbs which he knew could be as cold as ice.

"_Dante..."_

The young half breed stiffened. There was someone calling for him.

"_Dante..."_

It was like a soft whisper.

"_Wake up, Dante..."_

The whisper got louder.

"I'll have to go now, Vergil, but as soon as possible I'll be back!" Dante said softly.

"Promise me to hold on until I'm back!"

"_Dante, wake up, Dante!"_

Vergil nodded his head.

"I don't know why I'm believing this, but I promise!"

"I know I can rely on your word as you can on mine!"

"_Dante..."_

"_Dante..."_

"_Wake up, Dante..."_

Dante sighed and let go of his brother. A last smile crossed his lips as he looked at his older twin then he vanished.

"Dante..."

Slowly his mind came back to earth and it took just a few second until he could identify the voice. It was Rosalie who had called him. His eyes flew open.

"Dammit, Dante wake up!" A slap on his cheek brought him back completely.

"Hey, I'm already awake! So quit it!" he growled as an answer.

Rosalie, who still had the body of a little ten-year-old boy, smiled at him.

"We're in London," she said, and begun to get up and join the queue leaving the plane. Dante followed in her wake as she shoved people out of the way, not really paying attention to anything. From somewhere deep inside his mind Dante knew that this boy... or the old lady?... was responsible for his dream and he felt a little flash of thankfulness. He followed her through the lines of seats. Rosalie looked up and back at him. Her question proved his suspicion:

"Did you find him?"


	5. Meeting Old Friends

_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Devil May Cry... even if I want to...

So friends! This is the fifth chapter and I hope you like it. As always I'm counting on you in writing some reviews so I'm even more eager to get on with the story.

Enjoy the chapter and give me a little feedback...

* * *

Part five: Meeting old friends

Dante and Rosalie left the plane silently and went through the security gate like they had in New York. This time she used a metal plate inside his leg as the reason of detection. The young half breed was quite content with it. He wasn't sure if the British people were as tolerant as the Americans.

Both made their way toward the assembly line to get their suitcases. It took some time 'till they came into sight.

"What time is it?" Dante asked suppressing a yawn.

"Let's see," Rosalie started with the voice of a little boy. "We departed at 4:30 a.m. right? Now it is about quarter to 10:00 p.m., if I counted properly."

"Oh, so long?" the demon hunter asked confused. Rosalie laughed.

"Yeah, we nearly flew half a day and there are five hours time difference between London and New York," she answered and held the teddy-bear under her nose. She looked really like a little boy who was visiting his grandparents – together with his big brother.

"Okay, okay..." Dante didn't want to think about it. He had to bother about more important things... like a plan of how to rescue his brother.

"You haven't answered my question yet," Rosalie broke the silence which had settled between them. Dante looked down and a blazing fire was raised behind the blue wall of his eyes.

"Oh yes, I found him," he growled turning his attention toward the exit of Heathrow airport.

"Good, good," was all he got as an answer then they walked in total silence.

Outside the airport it was night and it was raining. Settling the suitcases onto the ground Dante looked up to the dark clouds and he saw himself again, standing on the Temen –Ni –Gru, fighting against his brother Vergil.

"Vergil," he muttered under his breath.

Heavy raindrops hit his face and caused him to close his eyes. He stood there doing nothing but enjoying the coldness of the falling rain like he had when he fought his brother the first time on top of the tower. He imagined the tall figure of his twin, the blue coat that matched his eyes, the silvery hair standing against gravity to separate them if not from blood but from appearance. The cold look in Vergil's eyes – hated and loved at the same time.

Dante smiled when he remembered.

Finally the heavy rain turned into a soft drizzle. The young half breed bowed his head again and found himself alone at the exit of the airport. He was not all alone, there were still people going in and coming out of the building, but Rosalie had disappeared together with her suitcase.

Looking around he found no sign of her and he was sure that it wouldn't make any sense if he wandered around yelling for her. The red clad demon hunter shook his head.

Taking up his suitcase Dante decided to go for a while. He had no idea which way he should go because he had no idea where Lady's shop was.

His coat was soaked and a few strands of his silvery hair had escaped the ponytail. Now they were glued to his face. Some drops still dripped from his chin and nose but he didn't care. Leading his steps down the road he observed the people around him. Many of them held an umbrella or wore a hooded jacket to stay more or less dry.

But Dante had always loved the rain. It washed the dust of the day away and made the air cleaner – even if it was just for a little while. He watched the people running homewards to get inside and he had to smile.

He and his brother always went outside when it rained even if their mother had forbidden it.

_Oh brother! How many times did mum have to yell at us just to nurse us when we got ill? _

The young half breed went through the nearly empty streets of London neither speeding up nor slowing down. He walked at a steady pace.

Soft laughter reached his ears. Looking up he saw a young family coming up the way. The father held an umbrella in his left hand. The other was curled around the waist of his wife. In front of them two little girls played with each other. It seemed that it was a little competition between them about who could splash around the most water while jumping into the puddles. Their parents watched them and from time to time they shouted friendly warnings to keep them under control.

That scene reminded him of his own past and again his thoughts turned towards his brother.

_Do you remember our childhood, Verge? How we played some pranks on our parents and how mad Daddy was when we jumbled up his weapons? He always said that we had to wait until we could control our power and the weapons. _

A little chuckle escaped his lips but it died when he saw something behind the family that didn't fit into the perfect picture. It was something orange that pulsed and came slowly nearer.

The demon hunter inside him woke up instantly and he let his suitcase fall onto the ground. Grabbing his twin guns Dante rushed forward. The woman and her daughters screamed in fear when they heard the wrath demon. Her husband stepped in front of them and was ready to protect his family.

A grim smile appeared on Dante's face when he observed the scene. The man had no chance to win a fight again a demon even if it was just a wrath.

Using his beloved Air-Hike he jumped over them and landed directly between the demon and the family.

"Sorry, dude, that's not the right place for you!" he grinned and started firing at it. The orange bubble it carried brightened and after a few more shots it exploded.

A deadly silence fell over the scene and no-one made a move. Dante stood there his back to them. With a quiet sigh he turned around and looked at the man.

"If I'm allowed to give you an advice, you should go home as fast as you can. These beasts can get really persistent and they are really dangerous," he paused and glanced down at the girls who hid behind their mother.

"Especially for your children. You shouldn't take them out at night." He pointed behind him and added:

"These ones are really slow. You can escape them easily but there are others. Faster ones. They're not just dangerous – they're deadly."

Dante walked around the family while he put the guns back into their holsters. Picking up his trunk he turned right and started walking again. The young man didn't wait for words of thanks. He knew that they wouldn't come – at least not from the family.

After a couple of steps he heard tiny feet trying to reach him. Stopping in his tracks he looked back over his shoulder. Behind him – a few meters away – the two girls stood like statues starring up to him.

Dante turned fully and raised his eyes to look over the girl's heads. He could see the parents standing at the end of the road observing the scene.

"What do you want?" he asked and didn't hide his mistrust. The children smiled cautiously like they had no idea how to deal with him.

_They don't know what I am_, he thought painfully.

One of the girls made a step forward but stopped when her sister reached out for her.

"Thank you, sir!" she said turning around to run away. Her sibling followed.

Dante watched them hurrying away. He felt odd. It was like looking into a deformed mirror.

He could see his family and his brother walking through the rain in front of his inner eye. His brother and him dressed in matching raincoats – one blue and one red – jumping in every puddle they could find.

"What a nice little scene," a voice ripped him out of his thoughts. Dante turned around Ebony pointing directly between the eyes of the voice's owner.

It was a young man – maybe seventeen years old – with short blond hair and small glasses on his nose. Within the dimly light of the lanterns his eyes seemed to be black. A long dark coat hid his other clothes but not his slender form. He doesn't seem to be an enemy.

_He's looking like a college-boy_, Dante thought absently.

Silence rose between them and nothing but the falling rain disturbed it.

Finally Dante lowered Ebony and put it back into its holster. He was still tensed and cautious. There was no real danger, that much he could sense but there was something not normal, something weird about the boy in front of him.

"So, you're Dante, right?" the blond boy asked while stepping forward slowly.

"Who wants to know that?" Came the calm reply. The young demon hunter wasn't interested in meeting someone new.

"I want to know that!" smiled his opponent.

Dante sighed deeply.

"Yeah, I'm Dante. Now shut up and leave, boy!" He growled ready to pass that blond smartass who seemed to think that the whole situation was pretty funny because he laughed loudly.

"Lady told me that you're not quite talkative at the moment," he announced calmly. His dark eyes focused on the red clad figure in front of him.

Dante stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Lady's name.

"You know her?" he asked tonelessly.

The boy shrugged.

"Maybe," he replied with a cocky smile on his lips. Faster than one could see Dante had Ebony back in his hand and between the boys eyes.

"I'm warning you only once: Don't try to fool me! It could be dangerous!" His voice was calm but the blue orbs burned with anger. His opponent started shivering and raised both hands in a defensive manner.

"O-Okay! I'm going to be a nice boy but please put that gun away!" he pleaded weakly.

Dante knew that the boy was acting because a few minutes ago he had looked into the muzzle without stuttering. The young half breed pressed the muzzle against the blonde's head one more time then he let go. He took his hands back down and gave a relieved sigh. Even if he wasn't afraid of the gun or anything else, he had to be cautious.

"Do you know where she is?" Dante wanted to know while passing the boy.

"Wh-What?" he got as an answer.

Again he stopped but didn't turn around to face the guy.

"Are you as dumb as you seem right now?" He let the other one hear the forced calmness out of his voice.

"Oh, no, I'm not. I just wasn't ready for being asked something, you know?" the blond boy stepped aside him and tried to look into the hunter's eyes. He wasn't able to catch the blue orbs once.

"Well?" Dante asked and this time there was a suppressed menace in his voice.

"She... she said that she wanted to see if the call we got a few hours ago was right," the boy said slowly.

He waited some seconds but the demon hunter gave no answer.

"It just a few blocks from here," he added fast pointing westward.

Dante started walking again without saying something. He had no intention to stay with the kid for longer than he had to. The large trunk he was carrying seemed to vibrate and the red clad hunter had to smile. Rebellion wanted to come outside but it had to wait.

_Just a little longer_, Dante thought.

First he had to focus on finding Lady. His pace increased and he was just a few steps away from running when he heard some noises behind him. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the boy chasing him.

"Why are you following me?" he asked not stopping in his walk.

The boy gave him no answer as he was too busy keeping up with him. Finally after one more block Dante slowed down a bit and gave his follower the chance to catch up with him.

Panting heavily the blonde boy slowed down a bit too until he reached Dante. Then he tried to say something.

"So," Dante started again.

"I... I have to get to her, too, so I thought I might be allowed to walk with you," he got the breathless answer. The red clad hunter rolled his eyes. He wasn't really fond of that idea but he seemed to have no real choice. That guy would follow him – wanted or not.

"Do as you please but don't wind me up! Is that clear?" he growled and headed towards the area where he thought he could find Lady.

_Why do I trust that boy's answers? H_e asked himself while he was watching the kid from the corner of an eye.

_He could tell me anything if he wanted to. Who says that he really knows her? _

Dante saw that the kid tried to talk to him but didn't know how to.

"What?" he asked while keeping his eyes back on his tracks.

"I.. I just wanted to introduce myself, you know, it's a thing I was taught when I was younger. Being polite and honest and modest and stuff like that. I thought that you might want to know who..." he was stopped by a glance from burning blue eyes.

"Scott," he finished quickly and his voice sounded like he had his puberty vocal change.

"What did I say a few blocks ago?" Dante asked and turned towards the boy. His eyes started to gleam reddish. Scott backed up and raised his hands again.

"I'm sorry!" he whispered when a sudden bang and hot pain caught Dante's attention.

"Keep your hands away from the boy, you filthy beast!" he heard the female voice which had annoyed him five years ago.

"All good things come by threes, right Lady?" Dante announced turning around facing her.

She hadn't changed since the day he met her on Temen – Ni - Gru.

Her hair was still a mess and she was clad in provocative clothes. Her bi-coloured eyes widened in shock when she realised who she had shot at.

"Dante?" she asked in a breathless and disbelieving whisper.

"The one and only," he gave her a little smile.

"How long have you been here?" she wanted to know.

"For about one hour, maybe one and a half but not longer," Dante said calmly. He could see that there were thoughts rushing behind her forehead. Thought about his reasons and intentions.

"Why didn't you call? I could have picked you up from the airport." Lady stepped nearer and put her gun back into its holster. On her back she had her placed her greatest weapon – her beloved Kalina Ann.

"I wasn't sure if I wanted to come or not but as you can see: I'm here now," he said ignoring the confused look from Scott who stood next to him.

"Well," Lady started but stopped then. Dante smiled softly – he caught her somewhat off guard. She hadn't been expecting him at least not as early as that.

A sudden scream which was followed by several ringing bells ripped the meeting apart.

"Oh shit!" Dante hissed and threw his trunk into the air. The old shell exploded and a silvery lightning shot in his direction. He used his Air-Hike again and caught the flash midair. It was a great feeling to have Rebellion back in his hand. The sword vibrated and Dante could tell that it was pure joy of being free again.

He crashed back onto the ground and took a look around. On his left side he could see Lady taking Kalina Ann from her back, waiting for the demons. A glance at his right side showed him that Scott was prepared for a battle as well. He wore some strange gloves which reminded him of Beowulf but these ones had spikes and two large blades on it. The young face was stern and awaiting.

Dante focused on the floor in front of him where three Hell VanGuards appeared. Using his Stinger-Attack he rushed forward and right through the beast. Jumping up behind it he crashed down with his Helm Breaker.

It took just a few seconds to separate the three demons from each other. Lady shot at the beast and forced it backwards. Scott used some Martial Arts to keep the VanGuard in line.

_He's pretty fast_, Dante had to admit. His own enemy used the heartbeat he needed for this thought to attack him with its sickle but the young half demon saw it from the corner of his eye and raised Rebellion to defend himself.

They stood there for a moment caught in the eye of the other one and suddenly Dante recognized that creature. It was the same he met in his dream. He wasn't able to tell why he knew it but he did.

It was strange.

One simple look and he was back in that cave – back in hell.

Silence was all he could hear in the moment that they stared at each other. The fights of Lady and Scott were cut out. The screams and bangs and everything were covered by silence.

Dante couldn't tell whether it was for seconds or hours they stood there when he heard something that froze his blood inside his veins. A soft voice came out of nowhere.

"_Dante_," He said barely able to understand.

"_Dante, please hurry, I can't stand any longer..._"

Pure hate pulsed through Dante's heart when he recognized the voice and the words he said.

"Vergil," he muttered and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again they were burning red. Concentrating his power Dante rushed forward and with one final Stinger-Attack he turned the VanGuard into dust.

Right after the vanishing of the demon all noises crashed upon him at once. Explosions, screams and the sharp scratches when metal hits metal. Lady aimed her last shot and the VanGuard disappeared with a loud bang. Scott had a few problems with his enemy but he managed to slice the beast apart.

"That was a little surprise," Scott said and covered a bleeding wound with his hand.

"Kinda," was all he got from Lady and Dante stayed silent. He looked back at the place where he had heard his brothers voice again – calling for him.

"We should go back to the shop," he heard Lady saying to her assistant. There was no answer so he thought the boy had agreed.

"Dante? You're coming?" she asked and ripped the half demon out of his thoughtful silence.

"Yeah," he answered shortly and turned to follow them.

In his heard he renewed the promise he gave his brother.

_I'm going to get you out of hell, Vergil, and I'll make everyone pay for torturing you!_


	6. Meeting Old Friends Interlude

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own the boys, even if I would love to!

So, my dearest readers. I finished the next part even if it is just an interlude to fill the gab between my chapters. It is possible that there will be more interludes like this.

As always: I would love to read your reviews and hope you're enjoying my story.

* * *

Meeting Old Friends (Interlude)

Lady's shop was a mess. Papers covered the desk and a part of the floor around it. Weapons of all kinds and sizes were – neatly – placed at the nearby wall. Dante gazed over the scene and smiled. He felt kind of at home – it looked a little like the 'Devil May Cry'.

_Minus my little trophies_, he thought.

"Nice," he said aloud and had to smile even brighter when he realized the slight pink which crept over the girl's cheeks.

"Well, I haven't expected you. So... I would have... if I had known," she stumbled over her words.

"All right, Lady, no need to apologize," he saved her.

"Scott, why don't you make some coffee? I think I could use a strong one," she said towards her assistant. The blonde boy nodded and headed to the door in the back.

"Why don't you make yourself at home?" Lady asked pointing towards an old black leather couch. Dante shrugged and let himself fall down heavily onto the piece of furniture.

It gave an exhausted crack. He placed his weapons next to him.

"Seems like this one isn't the only old piece, right?" he wanted to know while he was looking around. The chair behind the paper-covered desk had definitely seen better days. The file cabinet which took up the most space in the background area looked like it had been in the two world wars.

"Well," Lady started to answer. She leaned against the desk and caused a few sheets to take a flight to the floor.

"Business wasn't easy at the beginning."

"But it is right now, isn't it?" Dante teased and raised one eyebrow.

"Yeah, it is but it isn't the right time to think about a make-over. Don't you agree?"

Dante laughed slightly.

"Maybe you're right," he said.

"So, how many missions had you within the past..." he counted back till the day she had left for opening her own shop, "... five years?"

Lady sighed and moved from the desk over to the file cabinet.

"Let's see," she mumbled and opened the first drawer. An unpleasant creak sounded through the air and caused the huntress to wince. A single sheet fell down. She caught it mid-air and turned to face the half breed.

"The first one wasn't good, we just had around two hundred missions. That increased within the next two years up to two thousand... The forth year was a break – in. We fell back onto nine hundred missions," she stopped and put the sheet back into the drawer. When she pushed it back it gave a pitiful creak again.

"This year we had nearly three thousand calls within the first four months." Her bi-coloured eyes shimmered with joy but although with worries. She looked at Dante – waiting.

The young demon hunter gave her a questioning look.

"Am I supposed to say something? Preferably like: Wow, that's heavy! Or Good job!?"

Lady opened her mouth to give him the right answer but was cut down by Scott who came in with a tray on which he carried a coffee pot and three mugs.

"I'm sorry, but we're out of cream or sugar," he said when he placed it on the desk.

"No problem, I prefer it black," Dante replied helping himself up from the couch.

The young blonde poured the coffee into the mugs and handed one over to Dante.

He got a nod as thanks.

A few minutes of silent drinking passed.

"So," Lady started putting her empty cup onto the tray. "Why are you here, exactly?"

Dante didn't respond immediately. He starred into the black coffee like he was searching for an answer inside the dark liquid.

Moments passed.

"Well," he breathed and lifted his gaze until it reached the bi-coloured eyes.

"You said something about a gate, when you called me. I was curious about it and... to be honest... I wanted to see if you're able to close it alone." The last words were accompanied with a cheeky smile.

"What?" Lady asked and made a step forward. "You dare to think that I'm not able to close that damn gate? I am a good huntress and I am able to take care of that thing!"

Dante smiled.

"Never doubted it," he replied softly.

"But.. you said.." she stammered.

"I just wanted to see if it is still that easy to piss you off." Dante gulped the rest of the cold coffee and placed the mug next to Lady's.

"And..." he carefully took a step back. "It is still too easy to get you mad."

Lady stood next to the desk and looked at him.

"You can't be serious! Don't tell me you're here just to play the fool?"

"Why not?" Dante dared to ask.

"You... you..." Lady took a mug and threw it at the half breed.

It crashed against the wall behind the place the red clad hunter had stood seconds ago.

"Uh... Lady?" a soft voice caught her attention.

"What?" she hissed turning to Scott who was standing next to the door.

"Don't fight with him and don't let him anger you. I think he has a serious reason to be here. A _very _serious one." With these words he placed all the attention back on Dante.

The young half breed stood at the window and watched the scenes outside. He pretended not to hear the blond smart-ass.

"Dante?" Lady asked carefully.

He dropped his head, covering his face with his hair.

"Dan..."

"He's right."

"What?"

"I said, he is right," turning around to face both humans he showed a stern face which was unusual for him.

"I have a reason... but I won't tell you. At least not now. It is something personal and with that a mission of my own. I don't accept any interference." His voice was calm as was his whole body but Lady noticed a fire behind those words that could burn everyone and everything.

"Okay," she agreed slowly.

_I'm sorry, Lady, but if I tell you what I'm about to do... I know you won't accept it, might even try to prevent it,_ he thought a little sadly. He liked her a lot even if she had tried to kill him at first.

His thoughts drifted back to their first encounter where he had caught her, trying to prevent her from leaving an ugly spot on the ground. It was an awkward situation. But in the end they had something that could be called a friendship.

She even helped him naming his shop... The '_Devil May Cry'_.

"..te?"

"Dante?"

"Hey Dante, are you listening?" Lady clapped her hands in front of his eyes to get him back into reality. He snapped back and looked up.

"What?" he asked a little confused.

"I asked you if you want to sleep here or get into a hotel," she repeated.

"Don't know. If you think that you're able to sleep with such a hot ass under your roof," he teased and lifted his eyebrow in a flirting way. He was glad that he could play the cockiness perfectly.

"Oh you bastard!" Lady laughed and grabbed his hand.

"Come on, I'll show you the guest room."

"Wait, where are my weapons?" he asked checking the room.

"Oh, Scott brought them up into the room already," she calmed him.

Dante gave an annoyed huff.

"You know that I don't like it if someone I barely know puts his hand on my babies!" He said slowly.

"I do but I think you should trust him. He is a good guy, a little talkative, but nice." She defended Scott.

Dante sighed and smiled.

"Okay," he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Where is that guest room?"

"Follow me." Lady went through the door. Behind it was a hall from which three doors led into other rooms. Stairs showed the way into the second floor. Lady climbed up the stairs and led him into a second hall with four doors.

"This is the guest room," she pointed at the first door on the right side.

"And there is the bathroom, just in case you want to take a shower." It was the door next to his room.

"Those other doors are Scott's and my room. Knock if there is something. Good Night." She went into her room leaving him in the hall.

Looking around he noticed a small, old looking staircase on the other side of the hall.

_Maybe it leads onto the roof_, he thought. It would be a pleasure to feel the night around him but he was too tired to go outside.

Opening the door he stepped inside the guest room. Scott had left the lights on so he was greeted by it.

A smile crept over his lips when he realized that Lady had coloured the room in his colour... red. The furniture was old and looked like it would crash if a feather touched it but it seemed to be more stable. Letting himself fall down onto the bed he closed his eyes.

_Vergil, Vergil, Vergil_, he sighed.

_What am I supposed to do, brother? What can I do? I don't know anything right now! Where are you, how are you? Are you even alive anymore?_

He rested his arm over his eyes to cut the light out. His breathing calmed down and he slowly drifted away into sleep.

Before his mind shut down completely he thought he could hear someone calling for him.

"_Dante, please, hurry..."_

Than everything went black and he was fast asleep.


	7. Planing and Preparing

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own the boys, even if I would love to!

So, this is the next chapter...

Please, read and review...

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Chapter 7

Part seven: Planning and Preparing

When Dante awoke the next morning he needed a few minutes before he realized his situation. He was lying on an old – fashioned bed with red curtains around it. The cushions were a little too soft for his liking and it was way too warm inside the room. Slowly he stood up and noticed that he must have been really, really tired the evening before because he was still wearing his clothes.

A soft smile crept over his face when he remembered something like this happening to him and Vergil years ago...

It was a warm summer evening. The sun hung low on the horizon and covered everything in soft red light. A seven year old Dante sat under a big tree and watched his brother who was training with their father. He himself had already had his lesson a few hours ago and was now relaxing.

He needed his time to relax because Sparda, their father, was a strong-minded and sometimes stubborn man who wanted just the best for his sons – be it life or fight.

Watching his father and brother fighting against each other, he couldn't prevent himself from admiring the grace of his older twin. Vergil was quick and it was easier for him to escape the stronger attacks. Dante wasn't that fast but he was stronger than the other one and so he could defend his body. The little half breed was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice that his brother and father had stopped their training.

He snapped back into reality when Vergil let himself fall heavily into the grass next to him.

His breath came out hard and he trembled a little.

"You were great, Verge," Dante admitted quietly his eyes never leaving the clouds which were coming by.

A small huff was all he got as an answer. Vergil never talked much. He preferred to listen to what others had to say. Mostly he remembered every spoken word even if they had been spilled a few days ago.

"Daddy seems to be satisfied with our abilities," Dante tried again. This time he got nothing for an answer. Looking down angrily at his brother he noticed that Vergil had been fallen asleep. His eyes were closed and his facial expression was relaxed. Shyly Dante reached out and rearranged his brother's pony strands. Now he looked exactly like him.

A soft smile lay on his lips when he whispered:

"I hope we'll never fight against each other."

Now, years later, an adult Dante stood inside the guestroom of his fellow demon hunter and friend and sighed sadly because of his memory.

_We fought against each other, once... twice... three times...,_ he thought and went over to the window. Placing one hand on the glass he watched the sun rising behind the houses. His senses told him that neither Lady nor Scott were up yet.

After a couple of minutes Dante decided to have a look at the roof. Slowly and noiselessly he walked out of the room and through the hallway. The old staircase looked surprisingly stable. Setting one food on the first stair he felt himself being pulled into another part of his past...

"Dante! Vergil!" their mother shouted through the house. She had prepared dinner and was waiting for their twins to come down. Dante, who loved his mothers cooking, arrived at first.

"I'm ready, mummy," he gleamed. His mother smiled warmly down at him.

"Well, then, we'll just be waiting for your brother to come, too," she added when they took their seats. Minutes passed and Dante got a little nervous. Where was his brother?

"Dante, go and get your brother before the dinner gets cold," his father said with a smile on his face. Hurrying the young half blood ran up the stairs and looked into his twin's room. It was empty as was his room and the bathroom.

Standing in the hallway, annoyed and frustrated, he tried to think of other places he could look for his brother. A soft creak caught his attention. The door towards the attic stood open and a soft draught caused him to shiver. Dante hated the attic and the roof. He couldn't get comfortable with the thought of being that high above the ground without walls around him.

Taking one last deep breath he climbed the stair and pushed the door open completely. The attic was crowded with cardboard boxes, cobwebs and dust but else it was empty.

"Vergil?" he asked cautiously stepping into the room. There was no answer.

"Vergil?" he tried again, a little louder this time. Again he got no reply. Walking through the room slowly he finally reached the only window. It was open too. His nerves vibrated when he pushed himself out a little looking for his older brother.

He found him sitting on a little edge of the roof looking into the star- covered sky. Climbing out of the window clumsily Dante tried to get to his brother. Vergil who hadn't heard him until he bounced on the roof turned around and watched his brother curiously.

"Be careful, 'Te," he said quietly waiting for him.

"I am careful, Verge..." with the end of Vergil's nickname Dante slipped a little and slithered towards the end of the roof. He already saw himself crushing to the ground when he stopped hard.

Vergil had grabbed his arm and was now tugging him back on the edge. Huddling closer to his older twin Dante tried to get his breath back into normal speed.

"Why are you here?" Vergil asked quietly putting his arm around the shivering shoulders of his little twin.

"Dinner is ready and Daddy asked me to go looking after you," he answered shyly, embarrassed by his clumsiness which could have been very painful. Vergil gave him no reply he just held him close.

They sat there for a couple of minutes until Dante was calm again. Then the younger one asked: "Why are you here? Outside, on the roof?"

"I love to watch the stars and try to find the starsigns, you know?" Vergil caused his little twin to gaze up.

"Look, over there you have the great bear and over there is the lesser bear. And there..." he pointed over toward a few other stars.

"... you have the Lion." Dante tried to follow his brother's eyes but he couldn't find the pictures.

"Hey, shall I show you the pictures again, after dinner?" Vergil asked softly.

Dante just nodded and let his big brother help him inside again. They walked down together and when they closed the door behind them he gave it a curious look...

Just like the older Dante did now.

"Dante? Is this door so interesting or why have you staring at it for more than ten minutes now?" a soft voice asked him. It wasn't Lady, it was her smart-ass assistant, Scott.

"I was just remembering something," he replied absently.

"Something nice?"

"Yeah, something really nice..." A small smile enlightened his expression.

"That's good to hear," Scott whispered.

"Do you want some coffee? I was intending on making some." Now Dante looked up and watched the boy. He wore old jeans which had a few thin places and a white T-Shirt. His hair was a mess. The only thing that seemed to be new was his glasses.

He shrugged and nodded. Following the teen into the kitchen he thought about his last memory. _It was a nice one, indeed_, he said to himself. Stepping into the kitchen he was greeted by a fully clothed Lady who sat at the kitchen table.

"Hey, good morning, boys!" she greeted them tiredly.

"Morning Lady," Dante said and took the seat opposite to her.

"Thought you would still be sleeping. I couldn't sense you," he added softly taking the cup of dark liquid out of Scotts hand.

"Well, maybe you're still too exhausted," she replied sipping her own coffee.

"Why are you up then?" Scott leaned against the fridge and looked at his boss.

"To be honest, I was thinking about the gate and how we could close it."

"And? Any ideas?" Dante murmured.

"No, not even one," the huntress sighed. Leaning back she observed her friend.

"Well, than we should try to get a plan, because I don't think that these creatures will be closing the gate voluntarily," Scott said.

"Wow, did you figured that out all by yourself?" Dante asked teasingly.

"Smart-ass," was the hissed answer her got.

"Boys! Please," Lady placed her cup on the table and rested her elbows on it, too.

Dante just shrugged and ignored the blonde who was still leaning against the fridge.

"Well, than, I think the best would be to go there and to first take a look around because we don't know which demons are around and how many and stuff like that..." he said leaning his head back gazing at the ceiling.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Lady answered slowly.

"But I think it could be difficult because if we show up as a group the demons might hide from us and that would make it hard to find out how many there are."

The young demon hunter dropped his gaze and looked into the bi-coloured eyes of his opponent.

"I never said that we're going as a group," he corrected her softly.

"You and the smart – ass..." "Hey!" " ... are going together. I'm walking for my own. I've never been the type of guy who needed a bunch of partners, you know. I'm always for myself."

Dante stood up and put his cup into the sink. He didn't want to wait for an answer he knew would be negative for his reaction. But Lady surprised him.

"Okay," she said.

"I'll take Scott with me and you're looking around for yourself." The red clad hunter turned around his brows rose in a questioning manner.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, it was me who wanted to fight alone five years ago, don't you remember?" A smile crept over her face.

"I know you can keep yourself alive."

"Right," Dante sighed making his way out of the kitchen and back inside the guestroom. Finally inside he closed the door and leaned against it. His heart was pumping and he felt a sudden excitement rushing through his body.

_Could it be? Could it really be that there is a way to get him back?_ He thought.

He made his way towards his bed where he took his seat cross-legged. Then he took out Ebony and Ivory. He touched the guns with tender fingers and whirled them around.

"There's some work waiting for you," he whispered. The guns vibrated for a second like they wanted to show him their eagerness.

Slowly he separated the guns into their single parts before he cleaned them carefully. Every part – and be it so little – was taken into slender hands which removed every small piece of dust or dirt.

Time went on.

The young half breed was so caught up in his work that he didn't notice Lady standing in the door frame watching him. He didn't hear Scott talking to him. All that mattered were his guns.

When Dante had finished his preparations it was nearly two in the afternoon. He stretched his upper body and relaxed his tensed muscles. It hurt a little but he was used to the pain.

A soft knock on his door caught his attention.

"Who's it?" he asked while he climbed from the bed. His legs tickled because of the long time without moving.

"It's me, Scott!" he heard the voice of the blond boy. Mumbling something nasty Dante stepped to the door and opened it. A serious looking teenager awaited him.

"What's the matter?" Dante asked gazing over the boy's body. He was wearing a pair of dark trousers, knee-high boots with metal plates at the toes and heels, and a black shirt which was too big for him. _Like he wants to cover something. _And over the shirt he wore a long black leather coat. He looked like an assassin.

"Lady wants to talk to you before we're going," the blond replied. Without a second word he turned and left leaving an unsatisfied half breed behind.

Growling deeply Dante placed Rebellion on his back and holstered Ebony and Ivory. Before he left his room he looked into the mirror which hung next to his wardrobe. His mirror –image didn't look like he was used to. His silvery hair had lost its shine, hanging like a grey curtain around his face. The once so sparkling blue eyes were clouded with sorrow, worries and anger. His lips which always carried a cheeky smile had now a stern expression. The only things which hadn't changed were his red coat, the pair of brown leather trousers and his boots.

"Oh hell, I look like shit," he said to himself.

"Well, you certainly don't look good," a voice announced behind him. Whirling around Dante grabbed Ebony and aimed. Lady stood in the frame in a relaxed manner. Somehow she seemed to be getting used to be confronted with his guns.

"You wanted to talk to me," he mentioned while whirling Ebony back into its holster.

"I just thought that maybe you would tell me what's bothering you if Scott's not around," she replied softly stepping into the room. Her bi-coloured eyes lay on him they sparkled with curiosity and some hints of worries.

"You thought wrong," was the answer she got. "I said that it's a personal thing, something I need to take care of my own. I don't want any interferences and I certainly do not wish to get you two involved in this mess."

His voice was calm but the suppressed anger was noticeable. Lady looked at him with sad eyes but she nodded.

"I understand," she said.

"So... let's go downstairs. I have a map from the part of the town where we think the gate is situated. We should discuss who is going which way and where we meet if we don't find it right away."

Dante looked at her for a moment then nodded. Lady copied the gesture and turned around to leave the room. He hesitated to follow her. Once again he glanced back into the mirror.

"I'll find you, I promise," he told his image.

Then he turned and went down to get an overview of the area he had to go to.

Lady and Scott sat around the office desk. The surface was covered with a large map of London. Both were looking down at it. From time to time one was pointing at a place, shortly after it the other shook his head.

Dante cleared his throat to get the attention. Both faced him with stern expressions. Coming closer to them he glanced down at the map.

"So," he began leaning himself against the desk.

"How's the plan?"

Lady pointed at a subway station which was a few streets away from a place called Trafelgar Square.

"I thought that maybe you could take over this route because there are demons which are faster than we can handle," she admitted without looking him into the eyes.

"Scott and I are taking this one," she pointed at a street right opposite of his. Lady looked up to see if Dante had some conditions or ideas.

He hadn't.

"We thought that we'd meet again after about three hours," Scott started slowly getting the attention of both.

"We couldn't decide whether we'll meet here," he pointed a nearby subway station.

"or here," this time he pointed at a church which was farer away.

"What do you think about it, Dante?" Lady asked curiously.

The half-breed was silent for quite some time.

He wasn't sure if he would meet them again.

If he wanted to meet them again.

"We'll meet at the church," he decided after thinking about the possibilities to get a little more time or to get through the gate without Lady or Scott noticing. The subway station was too near for his liking.

"Okay, the church then," Lady sighed. She didn't seem to be satisfied but she accepted the decision.

Dante turned ready to leave the shop when Scott grabbed his arm. Frowning he looked down at the hand which took a hold of him.

"Take this, too, so we can keep contact," the blond boy offered him a headset.

"It's for our safety," he added when he noticed the disbelieving gaze from Dante.

"Please do it Dante," Lady interfered.

Sighing heavily the red clad hunter took the headset and put it on.

"Satisfied?" he asked cockily.

A smile was his answer.

"Well then," Scott said from the door.

"Let's go and kick some asses!"

Lady shouldered Kalina Ann and Dante took Rebellion into his right hand both followed the blond boy who stepped out of the door.

_Hold on, Verge, it won't take me any longer... I'll get you out of hell..._

It was four o'clock in the afternoon and the sun was hidden behind a wall of grey clouds which seemed to be a foreboding of a deadly evening and an even deadlier night...


	8. Meeting the Master of Pain

**_Disclaimer: _**An still, these boys aren't mine...

Well, my dear readers, it's been a way to long time since I was able to update. But now here is the next chapter. I hope you'll like them.

Please, read and review!

* * *

Part eight: Meeting the Master of Pain

They walked in silence – Scott a few steps in front of them and Lady a few behind the demon hunter. The atmosphere was awkward and Dante couldn't get rid of the feeling of being watched. Hundreds if not thousands of eyes – red and gleaming, burning with the desire to kill them. He could sense them and it made his fingers tickle with anticipation. His twinguns vibrated again reflecting their owners excitement.

_Where are they?_ Dante thought angrily.

_Where the heck are these bastards? _

His mind was racing – showing him one scene after the other about how his brother was tortured and how he would make that hilarious purple bastard bleed for hurting his twin.

Suddenly Scott stopped and reached out to point at something. It was a group of Sloth. They seemed to be looking for something or someone. Lady looked at Dante then over to Scott. Both nodded and parted. The young demon hunter turned left and rushed around a corner.

Dante didn't slow down until he was sure that neither Lady nor Scott were anywhere near his position. Just the second he stopped, he reached for his twinguns and whirled around in one fluent motion. A smile crept over his face when he stood face to face with a white hooded creature. The tall beast rose the sickle it held in his claws and a high pitched scream ripped the – more or less – peaceful evening apart.

"Haven't I taught you enough? You should stay away from me," the young demon hunter said sarcastically before he fired Ebony. The Sloth disappeared just as Dante expected it to. In one graceful movement he aimed Ivory right on the opposite side of his body. He had a feeling that the demon would appear in that position. Just a second later her heard the scream again and fired. The last remains of the demon flew away with the soft wind that had come up.

Dante sighed deeply. This little beast was no fun – at least not as funny as he would have wished.

"Well, looks like I got a little picky, don't you think Verge?" Dante holstered his twinguns.

"Maybe the demons in hell are a little more fun."

The street he paced along was nearly empty. Just a lonly, shabby looking dog accompanied him. The poor thing looked haunted and exhausted but it waggled its tail hopefully. Slowly Dante turned away from the dog and started walking again.

After a couple of blocks he stopped again and turned around. The dog stood behind him waggling its tail carefully. It tilted its head to the left side and Dante saw his own reflection inside the clouded eyes. Even if it was just an animal the demon hunter could sense the pain and the fear and the exhaustion but he could also feel the small flame of curiosity and hope. It made him shiver.

"Hey dude," he managed to say.

"I would turn and run for my life if I were you. There is something coming up this road!" Dantes eyes started to glow red and he grabbbed Rebellion while turning around. A group of demons appeared and he heard the dog wince a little but he could also tell that it wouldn't escape.

"I hope this party is going to last longer than the previous ones," Dante yelled and rushed forwared. Rebellions tip stayed behind him until he reached the first demon then he forced his sword up and teared the beast apart. Dante made a littlle jump his sword still in his hand and pointed at the sky. When he was on his way back down to earth he grabbed the hilt with both hands.

"Whohooo!" he laughed when he crashed the sword down to part three demons.

The others were pushed aside.

Dante landed right in the middle of a demon circle. Rebellion rested lazily on his shoulder and one hand was placed on his hip. A cocky smile graced his lips but it never reached his eyes that moment.

"Who's next?" he asked and made a full but slow turn until he was looking back into the direction he was first. He tried to figure out how many demons confronted him but he gave up pretty soon.

_Too many to count but too weak to become a real danger... at least for me_, he thought while he took Rebellion down from his shoulder.

A sudden silence fell over the scene.

The demons seemed to be waiting for something to happen. They didn't attack but they also didn't try to escape. Dante started to get impatient.

"What's up, guys? You're already tired?" he tried to get them out of the corner but they remained where they were. A deep growl escaped Dantes throat and he tightened his grip on Rebellions hilt.

Just the second he wanted to crash through the wall of demons it parted a little. It was just a small way they gave free but it was enough room for the figure that stepped into the circle with long graceful paces.

"You!" Dante was caught offguard by the demon in front of him.

The figure was tall with broad shoulders and long brown curls dressed completely in crimson leather. His long coat whirled around his ankles while he got nearer.

"You know me?" it asked quietly – curiously.

Dante gritted his teeth and tried to stay calm.

"Well, maybe I should introduce myself to you, shouldn't I? My name is...!"

He was cut short by a furious Dante.

"I don't care who you are, you bastard! Where is my brother? WHERE IS VERGIL?" Hate and fury rushed through Dantes mind and heart causing the adrenalin to pump through his veins.

"Your brother?" The demon seemed to think about it for a moment.

"Oh, you mean my little toy? That boy with those amazing and stunning blue eyes? The boy with that exquisite tasting blood?"

The demon smiled gracefully and pointed at something on his left side.

Slowly Dante followed the direction with his eyes and.... nearly dropped Rebellion.

Caught between two Hell VanGuards hung the lifeless body of his beloved brother. He was naked and his body was covered with blood. Even his hair had a touch of pink caused by the red liquid.

"Vergil," Dante whispered too appalled to do anything but stare.

"Vergil... YOU BASTARD!" The demon inside him roared with fury and he rushed forward like a red thunder. His body triggered without his recognition and he aimed Rebellions tip right at the heart of the demon.

"Oh boy," the demon sighed and lifted his right hand. A shockwave pressed the air out of Dantes lungs and he was thrown back. Crashing into a house he was buried under it.

"You know," the demons voice sounded through the stones.

"You shouldn't try to get back what I claim my own. You shouldn't mess with me, the brother of the great hell mistress... You shouldn't try to fight against me... against the hell chancelor Decorion!"

Dantes mind raced and he tried to get out of his grave and back to the bastard. He could hear him laugh and he somehow knew that he went over to his brother to do something.

A strangled cry full of pain and fear proved him right and caused the devil inside him to show again.

Stones flew away - crashing into other houses and burying demons under them. The devil-triggered demon hunter stepped out of his stone circle. The air around him shimmered from the strong energy.

Slowly he walked away from the mess and headed towards Decorion. Rebellion waited, lowered, its tip nearly hitting the ground

"Get away from him!" he said in a low and dangerously soft voice.

The leather – clad demon stood next to his brother. His right hand rested on Vergil's chest but his left one hid behind his twins back. Soft whimpers escaped the limp body and Dante nearly felt the pain his twin suffered.

"Why should I?" Decorion asked while he did something behind Vergil that caused him to cry out loudly again.

"Don't you hear those sweet noises he makes? It's like a symphony of pain!"

Again he moved the hidden hand and caused the older half breed let out a sob, he no longer seemed to have the strength to scream.

Decorion was a little irritated.

"Oh, my little one is exhausted it seems," he announced quietly.

"Get you filthy hands off of him!" Dante yelled and moved forward.

"Stop! Or he's dead," the demon didn't sound threatening, just the opposite. His voice was trying to seduce him to get nearer, to finally attack him.

But Dante stopped in his tracks and somehow he managed to regain some of his self-discipline. Rebellion rested in his hand, tip against the cold stones.

"Get away from him and fight me," he growled, his red eyes burning with fury.

Decorion seemed to be thinking about it.

"No," he said and removed his left hand from Vergil's body. One last cry escaped the halfblood before he passsed out again, hanging between the VanGuards.

A sickening silence fell over the scene.

Dante's thoughts rushed through his mind and he tried to find a way out of this situation. A way that included him and his brother getting away safely.

There was none.

_Too many demons, a hell chancellor,__just great! _he thought grimly.

_Why does hell need a chancellor__ anyway? How... _

His inner monolouge was cut off when he noticed the blood covered dagger that the demon raised to his lips. A curious tongue reached out and licked away some of the blood.

"Magnificent," Decorion exclaimed, his eyes never leaving Dantes.

"Your brother has such a good tasting blood. You want some?"

Dante froze for a moment.

His mind was blank. No thought, no image, nothing but blackness. Even his feelings where absent.

The young devil hunter stood there, motionless. Rebellion resting in his hand. His blue eyes were fixed on his brother. The devil trigger was gone when the burning fury inside him had lost its heat. He felt lost in his own mind when a sharp pain hit him.

"_Dante, help!"_

"Vergil," he whispered and without a warning his vision went red again. Raw, hot hate flooded through him and he wasn't able to get his trigger back under control.

He rushed forward, Rebellion still pointing against the floor.

He didn't notice the motion which came into the masses of demons which had surrounded him. Just when he was about to reach Decorion he recognized that he was the centre of attention for every demons at that place.

"Bye, bye!" he heard the demon laughing.

_Ver__gil! Oh fuck, no way I'm not losing you right now!_

"_Dante..."_

He heard his brother's voice crystal clear within his head and he followed him. Rebellion seemed to have a life of its own. Crashing through the screaming mass of demons without mercy. Dante didn't hear the screams, he just concentrated on his brother's voice inside his head.

"_Dante..."_

Vergil's voice sounded pleading, helpless... hopeless.

"_Vergil!"_Dante cried out in his mind. Trying to figure out if he was right, that his brother had reached him or if he was imagining things.

"_Dante?" C_ame the soft reply. The young demon hunter sped up. He wasn't fighting his way through the demons anymore. He merely shoved them aside with his body. He didn't care for them even if it was his duty to kill them.

_Lady is going to take care of them... and Scott can help_, he assured himself. Somehow he knew that she wouldn't be pleased. In case she would be really pissed off. But Dante didn't care.

"_Hey, bro, you're still with me?" _Dante hoped to get an answer but there was no voice anymore.

Had he lost him? Was he too far behind? Gritting his teeth Dante managed to sped up once more before he jumped into the air and produced a plate to get himself even higher. Looking around he found no sign of Decorion or his brother.

"_Vergil, damn it, if you hear me answer, for god's sake!"_ Dante found himself crashing on the rooftop of a little building. He wasted no time to get back onto the street. He just followed the row of rooftops along the street.

"'_Te?"_A soft whisper reached him. It was weak and the young hunter nearly missed it.

"_I'm coming, Verge, I'm on my way!__ Go on, try to talk to me! If I'm to find you, you'll have to talk to me, Verge!"_ Dante jumped over a small gap, a little side street, but he didn't land properly and stumbled forward. A hot pain shot from his foot up his spine.

"Shit!" he hissed. Behind him he could hear the demons scream with anger because they had lost sight of him.

"Good!"

A small smile appeared on his face, a slightly insane one.

"'_Te? You're there?"_

This time Dante was sure that he had heard Vergil. His voice had gotten stronger, not much but it was enough to carry the demon hunter on. He knew that this was his brother because he was the only one who used his pet-name.

"_Yeah, Verge, I'm still there." _

"_Where?"_

"_Just on my way!"_

"_Really? So, I wasn't dreaming..."_

"_No, you weren't. Go on, talk to me, Verge! I'm on the right way, your voice is getting stronger again!"_

"_I'm so tired... need to rest..."_

"_NO! Verge, don't stop!"_

"_I'm too tired... 'Te."_

"_VERGIL!" _

"FUCK!" Dante yelled his anger out into the night while he flew over the roofs. But still he was on the right way. Vergil's voice had become louder, even if he got tired.

"That bastard is going to die for everything he did!"

Suddenly the buildings stopped and Dante landed hard on the ground. Again there was a sharp pain but he didn't care. Looking around he found that he was standing on an open place.

"Dante!"

Turning around the demon hunter found Lady and Scott heading for him. He stood there and waited. He didn't want to but he had to ask the huntress if that was the place where the gate was supposed to be.

"Lady, that's the place, isn't it?" He saw the exhaustion on both faces but he couldn't wait. It hit him that he was being an ass for going into hell alone but he had to.

"Yeah, the gate is over there," Lady pointed at a large column with a statue at it's top.

"Right at the bottom... Here is some of my blood. Take it and close that damn gate!"

She handed him a vial with a read liquid in it. Dante took it and looked at the gate and then back into the direction he had been coming from.

"Lady," he started slowly. "The demons which are going to be here within the next minutes aren't that fast. Think you'll two are able to kill them and get them off of my ass?"

"Sure, why?"

"I have some personal matter to clear down in hell..."

"What?"

But Dante wasn't reacting. He headed towards the column putting the vial into his coat and placing Rebellion in his position on his back. He reached for his amulet and was glad to feel the soft warmth of it in his hand. Within this amulet he found his other partners: Cerberus, Nevan and all of them.

When he had reached his goal he turned around to gaze at the two hunter one last time. Both were coming for him but a high screaming caused them to turn their attention at their back.

It seemed that hell broke loose that moment, but Dante knew that he was going to go through more than just a few demons.

Smiling madly he turned his attention on the column to find out where that gate was.

A soft red light showed the entrance.

"Good luck, Lady!" he yelled.

"I hope to be back soon!"

Without listening to her insults and questions he reached out and let himself fall through the gate.

Something cold greeted him and he felt like someone was going to choke him but he was still smiling.

"_I'm on my way, Verge. I'm on my way!"_


	9. Getting him out Part I

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own these boys... even if I want them.

Well, I'll thank all of you. Those who read this story and even more the ones who are reviewing.

I devided this chapter into two parts because I thought it would be a little too long, if I placed everything in one.

Enjoy the first part. Read and review... and maybe I'll update the next chapter within the week!^^

* * *

Getting him out (Part one)

Dante thought that he was suffering a dejà-vu.

He knew the place where he stood. He knew it very well.

It was the same cave he arrived the first time, within his dream, where he had been able to see his brother. The same sickening red-coloured stones and the same hot air around him. Although everything seemed like the first time he had been there, there was something different.

He was able to breath right from the beginning and when he reached for his guns he found them placed in their holsters. On his back he had the familiar weight of Rebellion to ensure him that everything was where it belonged.

"Great!" he said quietly to himself.

A few minutes passed and Dante still stood at the same spot.

"Well, if I'm in the exact same place where I have been in my dream than there should be a demon appearing."

Just as he finished his sentence he heard the high-pitched scream of a Hell VanGuard.

A sigh escaped his lips and he turned around to face his opponent.

"Well, this time there is no way you're surviving our meeting!"

Grabbing Ebony and Ivory he started firing at the demon. The VanGuard tried to escape the shots through vanishing into the ground but Dante knew that movement just to well. He jumped back carefully trying to avoid the low ceiling. Just when his feet were back on the floor he heard the little bell.

The demon appeared again and was greeted warmly by the twin guns.

"Sorry, dude, but I don't have that much time!"

A final shot echoed through the cave followed by the last screams of the VanGuard.

Dante put his guns back into their holsters. He gave an unsatisfied groan and turned around. Somehow he wasn't balanced enough even if he had won the fight... well it hadn't been a fight anyway. The demon had been too easy to kill. There was no fun and an unusual feeling rising in his chest.

_Why was it so easy to kill that demon? I didn't even had the chance to use Rebellion!_

The sword on his back seemed to vibrate with agreement. Dante waited another few seconds before he decided to figure this out when he had found Vergil.

"Well, where is that damn long tunnel I have to walk through?"

Following the same way he had done when he visited this place in his dream he found the entrance of the tunnel pretty soon.

"And again," he sighed while stepping into the dark corridor.

Time went on and Dante was still on his way through the tunnel. The darkened shadows caused another memory to come back to his mind...

Nine-year old Dante felt alone.

"'Te! Where are you?" he heard his brother yell. He could tell that Vergil was afraid from the sound of his brother's voice. But he didn't felt like answering. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to stay alone.

Slowly, step-by-step, he climbed up the long staircase. It was a wooden one and it seemed that it was an old one, too, because some parts of the stair-rail were already rotten.

"'Te! Please! I'm sorry!" Vergil cried.

"Go away!" whispered Dante.

"Go away! And stay away!"

Higher and higher he climbed carefully analyzing every step before he set his foot on it. The air around him was cold and the higher he got the colder got it. After a while he saw his breath fog up in front of his face.

Suddenly he heard footsteps behind himself.

"No," he whispered speeding up his own pace.

"No, leave me alone! GO AWAY!"

His last words were screamed and they were echoed from the walls.

"Dante! Please! Come back down!" Vergil came nearer.

"No!"

"Dante, please! I never meant to break it!"

"You're lying! You were laughing when it broke!"

Tears burned in his eyes when Dante rushed through the cold air. Looking back he could see Vergil getting nearer. His brother always was the faster one. He always got him when they chased each other through the house and he always found him when they played hide-and-seek. It was so unfair. To increase his feeling of being clumsy and dumb the little half blood stumbled and crashed onto the stairs. A sharp pain stung in his knee and when he rolled on his back he found his knee bleeding.

"'Te," Vergil reached him a few seconds later.

"Go away! Leave me alone!" Dante said but his words were separated by sobs which he couldn't suppress.

"No, I won't." His brother knelt down next to him. It looked somewhat uncomfortable.

"Please, 'Te, I'm sorry. Please, believe me!"

The little demon hunter looked up into his brothers face. His cheeks were wet, like he had been crying, too. The deep-blue eyes, just the same like he had, shimmered with regret and worries.

"It was my favourite," sobbed Dante and opened his left hand which he had been clenched to his chest until that moment. There was a little toy-airplane, just as long as his index finger with red wings and a little star just before it ended. Now it was broken, both wings had been ripped of.

Pressing the remains of his toy back to his chest like a treasure he looked at Vergil again. His twin looked sad and Dante knew that he was sorry. He didn't flinch back when his older brother touched his wounded knee. He tried to clean it softly and Dante tried to stay calm and quiet. Ripping his handkerchief into stripes Vergil bandaged the wound.

"There," Vergil announced quietly.

"That shall do until we're back home."

Dante stayed silent, avoiding to look into his brothers eyes.

"Why?" he asked after a few moments.

"Why what?" His brother seemed to be confused.

"Why are you always better than me? Why are you cleverer? Why are you faster? Why is it always me who's doing silly stuff? Why is it always me who has to been taken care of? Why, why, WHY?"

Dante rushed into his brother's arm when they opened to hug him.

"Why am I such an idiot? Verge? Can you tell me?"

Vergil held him tightly, rubbing Dante's back in slow calming circles. Neither of them spoke for a long time. They sat on the stair – one giving, one searching comfort.

After what seemed an eternity Dante rose his face from Vergil's shoulder.

"Sorry. I'm just a dumb cry-baby." Dante sighed sadly.

"No! You're not! You're strong, you're not dumb! Yeah, you made mistakes and you will make them in the future but you always take the responsibility for your actions. You never back down when there is a challenge. You're fierce when you're fighting."

"Why do you say that? To make me feel better? You're the one who always wins!"

"Those were games, 'Te! And for being faster and stronger and cleverer... I'm trying to raise those things because I want to protect you, little brother!"

Dante stayed silent for a while.

"You want to protect me? But... but I want to protect you!" he finally forced out.

They looked at each other, both faces were serious. Until Vergil broke the silence with a loud laugh. A moment passed then Dante joined in. It took them a long time to get some air back into their lungs.

"Well, dear brother, then we can protect each other, right?" Vergil smiled wiping some of Dante's tears away. The younger one just nodded. They sat there for another couple of minutes until Vergil looked at his watch.

"Oh hell, we'll have to hurry or dad is going to get mad at us! Dinner should be ready in about an hour!"

Dante's eyes widened but he said nothing. Finally Vergil took his hand and dragged him downstairs...

_Dad had been mad, hadn't he? But he never stayed it for long, he always smiled when we went to bed. I remember that evening so well. You tried to repair my airplane right after diner. You know what? I still have it._

Dante smiled while he thought about the little toy which he had placed securely into one of his glass cases together with his other trophies.

He was so lost in his memories and thoughts that he nearly missed the hidden door which he had used in his dream.

But it was still there. Hidden in the dark red shadows. Slowly he moved towards the door when a thought jumped to life in his head.

Why hadn't there been any demons on his way through the tunnel?

_Maybe he's expecting me, or he is sure that I hadn't been able to follow him into hell.__ If it is, is it safe to try to call Vergil? I hope there are no demons around who are able to hear those inner-heads-discussions..._

Sighing deeply Dante closed his eyes and focused on finding his brother.

"_Vergil? Do you hear me?"_

Dante waited, counting the seconds.

He nearly gave up when he heard something.

"_Dante? Is it you?"_

"_Yeah, Verge, it's me." Well, it took him about ten minutes..._

"_Where are you? You're so quiet..."_

"_I'm in hell, in some wicked tunnel, but I know where I have to look for you. You remember when I visited you, some time ago?"_

Dante didn't wait any longer. He was able to hear his brother. Now he had to figure out how he could free him.

"_Yeah... Thought it was a dream..."_

"_No, it wasn't. I still don't know how it worked but it's unimportant right now. Listen, I'm going to give you a call now and them. I'm trying to be there as fast as I can, I promise. Stay strong."_

"_I'll try but I don't know how much longer I can. I'm sorry, 'Te, for everything...I"_

"_Don't be, Verge, now I'm going to quit the contact now. Try to rest and regain some strength. You're going to need it!"_

"_Okay."_

There was silence in his head again. Dante stood in front of the door. He remembered that it wasn't locked or hard to open he had the feeling to do something stronger.

The sound of the crashing door echoed through the corridor and made him smile. Stepping into the cell he noticed that the smell hadn't changed. It was still stale and it still had the sickening mix of death and decay in it.

A small voice in his head told him that this cell and the tunnel hadn't been in use for more than just a while.

Dante thought about it once more.

_If this whole place down here is empty, than there is the possibility that it had been forgotten. If I'm lucky than I'll be able to get Vergil out of this place through those tunnels. But how do we get back on earth? There was no sign of a gate back in that cave..._

The young devil hunter stood inside the call and thought about the options. There was no way he would fight more than necessary, not if he wanted to rescue his brother and survive. Deep in his thoughts he tried the doorknob. When it didn't open he was a little surprised but his memory wasn't far away and the second door learned another way of getting opened... by making deeper contact with Dante's boots.

The corridor was empty, just like the last one.

Dante stood between the remaining pieces of rotten wood and took a look at each direction. Both ways ended in darkness, the same way they did in his dream. Even the light was the same.

"Last time, I turned left," he murmured to himself.

"Shall I try the right way this time?"

He wasn't sure what to do in that moment.

The red-clad demon hunter was still trying to figure out which way to take when he got an idea. The whole time he spent thinking his hands had been playing with his amulet. What if Vergil knew where his own amulet was? Then there was a chance for them because Dante would get it back, there was no way around.

Following his dream he took the left route and rushed through the corridor. This time he heard his own footsteps and he knew that he had to be careful when he jumped through the mirror again. There was no possibility to hide himself or his aura when he entered the room this time.

"_Verge?"_

Again he started counting. This time he didn't even get over one minute before the answer reached him.

"_I can hear you, 'Te."_

"_Good, listen, I'm close, at least I hope so. I need to know if you know where your amulet is."_

"_It's right here. He placed it right in my view but I can't reach it."_

Dante could tell that his brother was in pain. He nearly felt it on his own body.

"_Okay, maybe I have a way out of hell for us, if the __amulet is within my reach. Is that bastard with you, right now?"_

"_The Master? No, he left some time ago. I tried to rest, just like you told me to."_

The demon inside him roared with anger when he heard so words from his brother.

"_Master? Is that what he made you call him? I'm going to kill him, I promise. But I'm glad that you listened."_

"_I had to learn it..."_

"_Are you alone?"_

"_There are some guards outside the door. The Master knows that I'm too weak to flee."_

"_Does he expect me? Does he know that I'm here?"_

"_I don't know. I... I don't think so."_

"_Good."_

Dante focused his eyes back onto the corridor and that was his luck. Otherwise he would have stumbled right into the mirror.

_That was close! How can I rush trough hell without looking? God, I need to get my control __back! _He thought and looked at his mirror-image. It looked a little out of breath but else it looked pretty fine.

"Well, then! Let's get you out of here, Verge!"

The young hunter made a few steps back to take a run-up. Then he jumped into the silvery surface of the mirror.


	10. Getting him out Part II

_**Disclaimer: **_Still... I don't own the guys.

Well, as you can see--- this is the next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy reading it. Please tell me, through a review, if you liked it... even if you didn't. Tell me!

* * *

Getting him out (Part two)

Dante felt cold. Cold and lonely... and he knew that something was wrong with it.

He should have landed right on the other side of the mirror but instead he was in some dark place where he couldn't see anything. As if that wasn't enough he had a feeling that his ears where stuffed with something. No sound reached him and so he couldn't even tell if he was really alone or if there was someone with him. The loneliness he felt was deep inside his chest and it placed itself around his heart like a hand of ice.

He knew that this was wrong but he couldn't say what went wrong. He did exactly the same things he did in his dream.

Maybe this was the reason why he had gone through the mirror right away because it had been a dream. Dante tried to focus his mind on his brother but found that he couldn't.

It was an awkward moment. Just like the one when he had met Rosalie. That time he wasn't able to visualize his twin's image even if they're identical to each other and after that he had that strange dream. Again Rosalie, now as a little boy, was the reason. Or so he thought.

Dante tried to focus again, not at his brother but at Rosalie.

"_Rosalie?"_ he asked carefully.

Nothing happened and Dante groaned silently. He just wanted to get to his brother and then he wanted them both out of hell as soon as possible. That shouldn't have been so hard to do, now that he knew that Vergil was alive, barely, but still alive.

Again he saw them both, sitting on the stairs, saying that they wanted to protect each other.

Fury rose in his chest. The same emotion he had felt when Decorion tortured Vergil in front of his eyes. He felt a sudden heat waving through his body, forcing the coldness back and the loneliness decreased, too. It took some time but finally he felt warm and comfortable. Then the feeling disappeared again, leaving him somewhat light-headed.

Just when Dante thought he could try to reach his brother again he felt like he was falling. He could feel the air rushing over his body. He didn't know if he was yelling because he still wasn't able to hear anything. Dante could feel his heartbeat rise because of the silence around him and the confusion in his head.

He didn't know how long he was falling through the endless darkness when something made it's way through the whirlwinds of his thoughts. It wasn't big or loud or anything. It was just a feeling.

The demon hunter felt like he was called but that couldn't be. If he couldn't reach out there was no real chance to get through to him.

But still...

Dante couldn't get rid of that feeling and so he tried to grab it.

"_...te!"_

"_..te!"_

"_Dante! Please answer me!"_

The young demon hunter was surprised. He wasn't sure if he should answer. The warmth was nice and he was sure that he could get used to the confusion in his mind. But still there was this little feeling he wanted to know what it was.

"_Yeah?"_he answered lazily.

"_Dante! Where are you?"_ the voice seemed to be on edge.

"_I don't know, but it's warm here... Who are you?" _Dante felt drowsy. He didn't want to think, he just wanted to sleep and maybe forget about the things which had cause his mind to whirl like a tornado.

"'_Te? It's me, Vergil! What happened? Where are you?" _This time the voice wasn't just edgy there was also panic in it.

"_Vergil?"_Dante thought about the name. Something inside his chest rose. It was something he knew. A feeling, strong but it didn't seem strong enough to be important.

"_I know, that I should know you... But I don't know why?" _The half blood gave up trying to figure out that strange feeling. The confusion placed it behind some thick walls and soon he was back in his light-headed situation.

"_Dante! Please! It's me! Your brother, your twin! Please, don't leave me alone here... You promised me! You never broke your promises, don't break this one now!"_ The voice got quieter with every word but he didn't need to listen to the end. The feeling in his chest exploded, destroying the walls around it.

"_Vergil!"_The fury was back but it was mixed with something else. Something the hunter didn't know and wasn't able to identify but it helped him to get the clouds out of his mind. The feeling of being deaf disappeared and the rushing of air around him stopped abruptly.

"_Vergil! Hell, what was that?"_ The heat inside him rose until he felt like he was burning from the inside. He knew that he had to get the energy out of his body or else he would explode. Dante swallowed dryly and tried again to focus on his brother. This time he could arrange the thoughts into their rightful places.

"_If that was a trick of that bastard then he will regret it!"_A roaring sound crept from the depth of his throat up to his mouth and he let it out. At first it was silent and felt awkward but it grew louder and the heat in his chest grew even more, even if he thought that couldn't be possible. The moment he heard the roar at its full volume he felt the heat explode – not just inside him, but around him too. His sight went from black to red within one second.

"Dante! Stop it, please!"

Suddenly he felt cold again. The demon hunter dropped to his knees for a moment before he realized that the word his brother had said weren't inside his head. Raising his eyes he saw his twin kneeling in front of him. Just then he noticed the warmth around them and when he glanced behind his brother he saw that the whole room was burning. Raising to his feet the demon hunter ran over to his brother and kneeled down next to him.

"Dante! You're here... but how did you do that?" Vergil's voice sounded raspy.

"I don't know and I think it would be better if we hurry out of here. Before the guards are coming," grabbing the chain which lay around Vergil's neck he looked around for its end.

A soft touch got his attention back to his brother.

"The guards won't come. I'll tell you later... if we're alive then." Vergil sounded weak but Dante saw the hope in those blue depths which mirrored his own just too well. Nodding he turned back to the chain and thought of a way to get it open. Taking the collar he cursed inwardly. It was the same material like the chain itself. He got angry over that and he felt the heat again.

"Dante?" The hunter didn't react.

"What are you doing?" Again no reaction came from the half blood.

"Dante! Stop! It hurts!"

The red clad half breed snapped back and found himself kneeling in front of his twin a glowing piece of hellish metal in his hand. Vergil sat next to him his hand were covering his throat and a part of his collarbone.

"Oh shit!" the hunter said quietly.

"I didn't want to hurt you!" He reached for Vergil but his twin just shook his head.

"It's okay. It just got a little too hot. We need the amulet, remember? It is over there," he pointed at a large painting. Dante took of his coat and placed it around Vergil's shoulders. Then he went over to examine the picture. It showed Decorion, dressed like he always was, in crimson leather. Around his neck sparkled Vergil's amulet. His own seemed to answer because he felt the soft vibration and he heard it humming.

_Funny, there is an inferno around us but we aren't harmed... And I still can hear the resonance of my __amulet._ Dante looked at the painting. Vergil's amulet started glowing softly. Taking his own in his hand he held it up a little and then his own reacted. It seemed to drag the other part out of the picture like a magical magnet. The amulet inside the painting moved, away from Decorion's neck towards Dante's hand and his glowing counterpart. It separated itself slowly from the piece of demonic art and finally hovered over his hand.

Grabbing it and putting both in his pocket the demon hunter turned around and saw his brother standing in the same spot where he had left him. He held the coat tightly around his naked body but even in this situation it was like looking into a mirror.

_Vergil looks like me__, _he thought and smiled.

"Hey, Verge, you're coming?" he cried over the now increasing volume of the burning room. Slowly his brother made his way towards him. He stumbled, but he refused to fall down. When Vergil stood in front of him he could see the tension in his twin's body.

"Let's get out of here, okay?" the hunter kept his voice soft and gentle. Why he did that he couldn't tell but he thought that it was just because of the torture his brother had suffered. Vergil just nodded. Dante could see the tiredness in those mirroring eyes and he could feel it too.

Taking his brothers hand he led them towards the gate-mirror.

"I hope this works both ways," Dante muttered under his breath.

He gave his twin's hand an encouraging squeeze before he placed his arm tightly around his waist.

Right the second the twins wanted to jump through the mirror they heard a scream behind them.

Decorion stood inside the room. Flames danced around him and the light gave his face a murderous expression. He lifted a hand and Dante knew that there was a shockwave on its way. He took one step back and let himself fall through the surface dragging his twin with him. Before his vision went black he could see the glass shatter into a million pieces. Pressing Vergil's body tightly against his own he waited for the landing. It didn't take long and he hit the ground hard preventing his twin from crashing on the floor too.

They lay still for a moment before Dante raised his head and looked at Vergil's face.

"Everything okay with you?" he asked quietly. Vergil struggled himself up and nodded slowly.

"Better, but if we don't get away from here soon then I'm going to suffer more than I already have and you..." he left the sentence unfinished but he didn't need to end it. Dante knew what would happen and he wasn't keen about it.

"We should leave," he stood up and took Vergil's hand again.

"Just lean on me, brother." His twin only nodded.

Dante hurried but he didn't press because he couldn't go anywhere when his brother broke down. When he had pressed his body against his twins he could feel that Vergil was way too thin but even then he wouldn't be able to carry him. Whatever he did inside the mirror and the room had taken a lot of his energy and the rest he had was needed to get them out of hell, safely.

They hadn't been far away from the mirror gate when they heard someone coming behind them. Dante looked over his shoulder but he couldn't see anyone. Still he wasn't sure if it just had been his imagination. Then he saw the surface of the mirror changing. It showed a very angry looking Decorion who had his hands nearly on the end of the surface.

Right then there was a strong energy electrifying the air around them. Dante caught a glimpse of the suddenly surprised expression of the hell chancellor before the mirror exploded into a rain of tiny pieces of glass.

At the spot where the gate had been stood a small figure. It was clad in a long black coat but it made no movement or showed the intention to follow them. Still Dante looked at it and waited, Vergil resting silently against him.

After a long moment the figure turned around and left. The demon hunter let out the breath he had be holding without realization. Then he noticed that he had wrapped both arms around his brother and pressed the slim form against his broad one.

"You're okay?" he asked but not letting go of Vergil. His brother nodded.

"Then let's get out of here."

When he opened his arms to let go of his twin he noticed that he had his arms wrapped around his waist in a manner that was both: a wish to protect and the wish to be protected.

Dante smiled softly at that.

_He still can't be the one who get's the protection__, _he thought and placed his arm securely around Vergil's back. They went through the empty corridor until they reached the small cell. All the time the hunter had listened to his surroundings but there were no noises. There was nothing. The way they took had to be really old or at least something like that.

Suddenly Vergil stumbled and fell on his knees. He bent forward and rested on his forearms. His whole body shivered and Dante couldn't tell if it was because he was cold or because he was afraid of something.

"Hey Verge, do you want to rest a moment?" He helped his brother getting back up and let him rest against himself. He felt the violent shivers running over Vergil's back and he wished that he would be able to make them stop.

"Dante?" Vergil's voice was quiet and the demon hunter nearly missed it.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Is that really no dream? No illusion or game? Is there really a way out?"

"Believe me Vergil, there is a way out and this is no wicked game!"

To reassure his brother even more he gave him a hug. Vergil returned it weakly. They stood there and no one wanted to let go. Finally Dante broke the embrace and took the amulets out of his pocket.

"This place is as good as any, don't you think so? The faster were out of hell the better." The hunter placed the golden amulet around Vergil's neck and then he put his own on. Both crystals radiated with furious heat and the little cell was covered in red light.

"We need some blood," Vergil said in an unusual hollow voice. Dante just knew too good why he sounded that way. He took Rebellion and cut his own hand with a slight movement of the blade. Then he held it out to Vergil who was reluctant to cut himself. Finally he took his hand and made the cut himself. When the blood of them mingled the crystals glowed even lighter and soon there was no way to look at them without being blinded. Before he lost sight of Vergil, Dante grabbed his hand and dragged him right next to himself.

_Hopefully we__'re somewhere near that column so I can close the gate, _was Dante's last thought before the light covered both of them and he felt the tug at his body.


	11. Returning to Trafalgar Square

_**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Devil May Cry or one of the boys.

I'm sorry for the long time you had to wait for my new chapter. Hopefully it won't happen again but I can't promise, I had to overcome a heavy writer's block. But still have fun while reading.

Reviews are always welcome. Please, enjoy!

* * *

Returning to Trafalgar Square

Darkness surrounded both half breeds. Cold air rushed through Dantes lungs and he felt like he froze from the inside out. The only thing that kept his mind from going into chaos and panic was the feeling of his brother next to him.

_Vergil_, he thought and tried to move their entwined hands towards him. He could feel his arm moving slowly, as if it had to fight against the air like a resistance. It was like moving in syrup but finally he could align their bodies and move his free arm around Vergil's back. Dante shivered when he felt the cold skin of his twin against his own.

_Too cold_, his mind repeated and he tried to warm his brother. Concentrating hard on the warmth deep inside him he could feel it spread out trough his whole body and radiating towards Vergil. The stiff form of his brother seemed to relax a little.

"Vergil? Can you hear me?" No sound escaped Dantes mouth and that made the demon hunter somewhat nervous. Swallowing dryly he tried it once again with the same result.

_Great_, he thought to himself. _Just bloody great!_ Trying to keep his temper under control he concentrated again. This time he focused his thoughts on his brother.

"_Vergil?"_ He reached out in his mind.

"_Can you hear me?"_ It felt odd but it had worked down in hell and even on earth. Dante hoped that he could reach his brother on this way.

Nothing happened for a long time and the young demon hunter was ready to lose not just his temper but a part of his hope.

He made ready to try it again for one last time when a soft noise sounded inside his head.

"_Dante? Is that you?__" _The words were soft and he nearly missed them.

"_Yeah, it's me, Vergil. How are you feeling?"_ Concern was radiating from his words even if they were spoken inside his head.

"_I'm tired and I'm still t__oo weak to heal properly but else I feel okay. Did it work? It's so dark." _Dante swallowed again. Vergil admitted a sign of weakness. That alone was prove enough for him that his twin was on the edge of death.

"_I don't know. I can't remember it taking so long to return. The last time, when... when I had to leave you there... It took me just a few seconds to head back to earth. I don't know why it's taking so long this time." _Even though it wasn't a nice answer he knew that honesty was better then raising false hope inside his brother.

Dante hated not being able to say that everything was going to be fine. He downright detested the feeling of uncertainty that was roiling inside him. He was so concentrated on Vergil and his own temper that he didn't notice the change of the air around them. Moving got easier and it got a little lighter.

Just the second when he realized the changes and tried to look at his brother a deep red light blinded him. Closing his eyes he pressed his twin tighter against his chest – hearing, but ignoring, the groan that escaped Vergil. The blinding red light lingered for a few seconds before it descended again and left both of the half breeds back in darkness.

This darkness however wasn't as black as the one they were in before. It was the darkness that enveloped the world at night. Stars were blinking at the sky and the milky moonlight made everything shine silvery. The air was cold and rushed past them while they were falling down.

Opening his eyes again Dante could see the ground coming nearer and nearer. Reaching inside him he tried to gather what energy he had left and triggered his devil. Feeling the energy sparkling around him he looked at his brother only to find Vergil at the verge of conciousness. Growling lowly in his throat he opened his wings and stopped their rush towards earth abruptly. That earned him another low groan.

"Sorry Verge," he said and was a little surprised at the deep voice he had while he was in his devil form. Shifting his wings a little he grabbed Vergil in a more secure way and started gliding through the air.

Dante kept looking at the city below them. He was sure that he was still in London – well above it – but he wasn't at the place where he got into hell.

_Where the hell are Lady and Scott?_ He asked himself while searching for the battle field.

A high pitched scream followed by a loud explosion caught his attention. Shifting his wings again he made a softer stop this time to take a look around. To his right side he could see the dancing lights of a great fire. Taking one glance at his brother again he started flying towards the fire.

"Where are we going?" he heard the mumbled words of his weakened twin.

"I have some business to finish but don't worry it won't take me long and I'm not leaving you alone for that long!" He hadn't really finished his sentence when he could feel the panic rising in his twin.

"Don't leave me alone! Dante! 'Te, please, not again!" Vergil ranted on trying to get as near to Dante as he could.

The demon hunter was shocked. That couldn't be his twin. Vergil was strong, graceful, intelligent and strong minded. Not this broken figure inside his arms that needed every protection and was afraid to be alone!

Hate flooded through Dantes veins while he grabbed Vergil even tighter trying to reassure the shivering half breed that everything was all right – at least for that moment.

Sighing deeply Dante moved to glide downwards. He aimed for a rooftop which wasn't directly in the way of the fire. Landing as smoothly as he could he gave one last slap with his wings before he let the trigger subside again. Feeling that his brother was still trembling violently he moved them towards the wall of the higher building which was directly next to them without a street creating a gap.

Dante lowered Vergil to the ground and kneeled beside him. His twin had buried his face against Dantes chest while is fingers had a deathgrip at his biceps. Gently he pried Vergils fingers from his upper arms and shove the weak half devil from him so that he could look at his face properly. The utter despair which was showing on the young face made Dantes insides freeze. He gently grazed his fingertips over one bruised cheek and froze in his movement when he felt Vergil leaning into the soft touch.

Breathing deeply to control his anger Dante coaxed Vergil to look at him. Hoping that his eyes weren't showing anger or any other bad feeling he forced a light smile on his lips.

"I have to go, Verge," he whispered.

"I have to close that damn gate to prevent that asshole from coming back here but mostly from hurting you again." Dante stopped a moment before he reached out and placed his arms around Vergil one more time.

"I'll kill that bastard if he ever comes back and it won't be a nice death." His voice was deep from suppressed anger and the urge to hunt – the urge to kill.

The young halfblood rested his head lightly one Vergil's shoulder before he gave him one last reassuring squeeze. Opening his arms he released his twin and stood up.

"Please, stay right where you are," Dante said softly while reaching behind his back. He grabbed Ebony and Ivory from their holsters. He felt the vibrations and smiled an angry smile while he looked at his beloved twin guns.

"I have some work for you my dear ones," he whispered while he twirled them around his fingers.

"You'll have to protect my twin with every bullet you have. I trust you!" The vibration got stronger and the smile a little softer. Dante looked up to see Vergil observing him. It was obvious that he was nervous. Twirling the guns one last time he held them out to Vergil – handle first.

"Take them," he said and nodded when his twin reached out carefully. When he was sure that Vergil wouldn't drop the twins he nodded again one more time. Then he turned around and headed for the end of the rooftop.

"I won't be long. I promise!"

Jumping from the one roof to the next one he heard his twin whispering.

"I trust you."

Happiness and anger rushed through him at the same time and it made the devil inside him roar.

Dante used his Air-Hike to get on the highest roof. He stopped and turned around. The curled up figure of his twin shimmered in the pale moonlight.

Growling deep inside his throat he changed his attention back to the scene in front of him.

Fire, explosions, screams... it caused his inner-devil to scream with happiness. Dante gave in to him just to readily.

Heat surrounded him and he felt his changing more now than he ever had. The power rushing through his veins was electrifying and it made him a little light-headed. His blood felt like liquid fire inside his body. The second his wings ripped out of his back he opened his mouth and a scream escaped his lips. It was full of rage and echoed even through the battle sounds.

The young half-demon slapped his wings and rose into the cool night air. Higher and higher he rose. When he was as high as he could he turned and looked back at the fighting scene. From this high above it was just a little red dot. Growling again he dove down.

His wings folded tightly around his shoulders he shot down like a bullet. The air was ice cold but it did little against the burning head inside his veins. His blood punded in his ears shutting out every other sound.

The red light grew at a fast pace.

The half-demon roared and opened his wings a few meters above the worst battlefield. There was no hint of neither Lady nor Scott. The human part of his mind shouted to go and find them first – to make sure that they were okay. But the demon part – fuelled with the fear for his brother and the pure, red rage – silenced it effectively. The demons just saw his prey and it went for it.

Diving into the mass of moving bodies Dante ripped out throats and limbs. He didn't even use Rebellion. His claws were the only weapons he wanted to use. He wanted to feel the demons die under his bare hands. The demon inside him urged to kill. It cheered with every dusty explosion.

A few lust demons drove their sickles inside his back but he didn't feel the pain. He just turned around and with one heavy punch destroyed them. The rows around him thinned but the demon inside himself wasn't satisfied. It wanted more.

Glancing around for his next victim he saw the demons retreating. Roaring he started to follow them through the streets – even through destroyed buildings – and tried to catch them.

It was like a race – a competition and the devil inside Dante cheered causing the human part of his mind to raise again.

This time it broke through the haze of hate and the wish to kill everything.

Dante slowed down and looked around.

The demons were heading into one direction. Everyone of them tried to get there. The young half – blood thought about it for a moment.

"This must be the way to the gate then," he growled and started running again.

Once the human part had the most control again he remembered the sword on his back.

Taking Rebellion in his hand he could almost hear it singing for blood. Slowly he lowered the tip to the ground and looked into the direction the demons were escaping. He started walking after them but this time at a slow pace. The devil inside him roared with anger but it couldn't get the control over his body again.

Dante took his time to follow the escaping demons. He knew that he had made a promise to his brother to not take too long but he had to think about someway to close the gate. The general way to close it was easy. His blood and the blood of his brother plus Lady's blood... the same way as to open it. Though the demons had been able to open it again and this had to mean one thing that the normal way wasn't really working anymore.

A loud bang ripped Dante's thoughts from the problem and he focused his eyes again. There was fire all around him but it didn't feel hot. It wondered him but he pushed the thought away and focused on the scene again. In front of the orange flames stood two figures – one with a heavy gun and one with martial arts gear – Lady and Scott. Both seemed to be in control of the situation but then he felt something change around him. Even the devil inside him was silent and seemed to be listening.

Looking back at Lady and Scott he saw the the demons kept their distance even without being menaced by some big bullets and sharp blades.

"_What is that?"_ Dante asked himself when he started walking towards the two humans. He couldn't catch the feeling. It was like a mix of many feelings – always another stronger than the other.

While he walked he relocated the weight of Rebellion and tightened his grip on the hilt.

"_A few more moments. Just a few more moments,"_ he thought, shortly wondering about the missing answer from his inner demon. His muscles tensed and he made ready to use his High Time to send the beasts flying.

Justt before he could set his body into movement the demons rushed away from Lady and Scott and headed to the gate again. This time he could feel the anger and disappointment from his inner devil – he felt it too.

"Dante! Hurry! We have to close the gate!" Lady yelled and tried to be louder then the roaring fire. The young demon huntress turned around and followed the demons. Scott not far behind.

The half breed growled and ran behind them. With his demonic abilities it wasn't hard for him to catch up. A few seconds later he was next to Lady. Scott kept up with them on the other side.

It didn't take long to reach the Square again. The whole place was crowded with demons. All of them headed to the column in the center. Lady cursed under her breath and fired KalinaAnn. The bullet – more a bomb – crashed into a wall of demons and ripped a hole into it. Dust flew through the air and disturbed the sight of the three hunter. Dante slapped his wings to get rid of the dust but it was useless. He growled and rushed into the cloud leaving Lady and Scott behind again.

"Damn demons," Dante yelled and started coughing for he had breathed in too much dust. The fine particles scratched inside his throat and he felt like he had swallowed some sandpaper. Tears came into his eyes and he shook his head.

"_Great! I'm out of a battle because of a little dust!"_ Swallowing dryly and suppressing the urge to cough again he took up the chase again. It wasn't really hard to follow them. He knew the goal and he knew that he had to close if no to destroy the gate.

"For you, Vergil," he whispered while he sped up his steps.

Suddenly the demons froze and so did Dante.

The air changed again and this time he knew why.

In front of him appeared a gap in the mass of demons and a figure walked down the gap like it walked down an aisle. Slow and graceful with measured steps – just like calm itself. But Dante knew better. He could sense the dangerous aura radiating from the figure.

Crimson leather shimmered in the pale moonlight. The long, brown curls flowed over the shoulders like waves.

"You!" he said quietly knowing that Decorion could hear him.

"Yes, me," answered the hell chancellor and the fury was dripping from his voice.

"I come to collect my pet. It escaped and now I want it back."

Dante laughed and it sounded like a wolf's howl for the demon and the human part were laughing together.

"He's not your pet, you bastard. He is my brother, my twin and you won't get him. Not if I have a word in it!" The demon hunter straightened his shoulders and leveled Rebellion until the tip pointed directly at Decorions chest.

"You want him? You won't get him... just over my dead body!"

Now it was Decorion who laughed.

"Oh well, this shouldn't be such a problem!"

Dante swallowed and braced himself for the attack which he knew had to come. Decorion seemed to be ready to attack when a loud crash echoed through the night and suddenly every sound seemed to have disappeared. It was silent... completely silent.

"Decorion," a female voice boomed into the quietness. The demon froze in place and his face showed a strange mix of emotion. Anger and frustration were the only feelings Dante could identify.

"Yes, Mistress," Decorion said while turning around and bowing in front of someone the young half-breed couldn't see.

"You will stop this immediately and return to hell. I need you there!" The voice was like steel – hard, cold and merciless. The crimson clad demons flinched for one second.

"As you wish, Mistress."

When Decorion rose from his bowed position the noises came back as one and nearly deafened Dante. He shook his head to clear it again before he looked back at the demon in front of him. Behind him the lower demons returned through the gate back into hell.

"Listen to me, Son of Sparda!" Decorion spat the name of Dante's and Vergil's father like it was some kind of insult.

"I will return and I will get my little toy back. Do you understand me, Vergil? I will get you back!" Decorion laughed and it was an evil sound. Nevertheless the words the demon had said made Dante froze in place for he was walking into Decorion's direction. The young demon hunter turned around slowly just to see his twin standing a few feet away from him. Even from the spot he was standing Dante could see the trembling. Vergil looked fragile wearing his coat.

"Vergil," he whispered terrified.

Something inside his mind fell into place the second he saw the blue light surrounding his twin.

"No!" Dante yelled and rushed over to Vergil. He could hear Decorion laugh in his back but he didn't care. It took him just a few seconds to reach his brother.

"Vergil, stop it! You can't trigger! Not now, not in this state!" Releasing his own devil trigger Dante changed back and enveloped the shivering figure into his arms. Pressing the thin body to his broad chest he started whispering soft words into Vergil's ear. Words the older one had used to calm him when he had a nightmare back in their childhood days.

"Don't be scared, I'll protect you. I promise! You know that I always keep my promises!" His voice was breathless but he didn't stop.

Slowly he turned their bodies so that he could look at the demon. With one hand he moved Vergil's head and pressed it into his neck to prevent his brother from looking at the face of Decorion any longer.

"He won't get you. I won't let it happen. Not now, not ever!" Dante tightened his hold of Vergil and he felt the trembling subside a little.

Decorion laughed again before he waved his hand and made a mocking bow into the direction of Dante and Vergil. Then he turned and headed towards the gate. The mass of demons which had crowded the whole Trafelgar Square had disappeared leaving a destroyed part of London behind. But Dante didn't care. He embraced Vergil and buried his face into the bloodstained hair of his twin.

"What was that?" a female voice demanded angrily.

Dante sighed and rose his head to look at Lady and Scott who were standing on his left side. The young demon huntress looked a little confused before she turned around to look at Dante. Her face showed surprise for one moment. Then she took one of her Revolvers and aimed it – right at the back of Vergils head.

"What's the meaning of this?" She asked, her voice trembling a little. Scott looked at Dante and just in this moment the young demon hunter realised something strange at the young man. His eyes were dark. Darker than any colour he knew a human could have. The blond man smiled and gave a little laugh.

"You recognized me then?" he asked. Dante nodded his head slowly.

"Well, it took you quite the time, but that doesn't matter. Not now! Now we should get that brother of yours into a stable building and into a warm bed so he can rest. Don't you think so?"

Dante felt Vergil moving in his arms. It was way weaker than any movement he had felt his brother make in the last few hours. Carefully he removed himself from his twin.

"You overtook yourself, didn't you?" he asked quietly. The lost look in Vergils eyes made his stomack turn about 360°.

"I'm not mad at you, if you fear that. I'm just worried. I agree with him and you?" Dante tried to be as gentle as he could. He was a little lost as to how he should treat his brother. It was sure that Vergils mind had suffered some serious maltreatments. The look of pure uncertainty was prove enough but Dante decided to wait until Vergil gave his okay. It would be a first step back into his own self.

Finally Vergil gave his okay and Dante place his arm around the slim waist.

"Well then, let's go," he sighed exhausted. He didn't get very far before Lady stepped in their way and pointed her gun at Vergil. The young half breed felt his twin tense and with one fast movement of his hand he shoved the girl aside.

"If you ever point your gun at him or worse shoot at him, I will make sure you will regret it the moment your bullet leave the barrel. That is a promise Lady. I don't want to treat you like this but Vergil is my brother and I will protect him," he said calmly.

Lady stood in front of him and gaped at his words.

"You can't be serious, Dante!" she whispered. Scotts hand on her shoulder rescued Dante from answering.

"We really should go," Scott said while he looked at Dante.

"Okay," Lady said, sighing.

"But I want answers! As soon as we are home you are answering, Dante!"

Dante looked at her and he pressed Vergil a little harder to him.

"I will give you some answers when we are home and I have taken care of Verge's wounds. Not a minute before."

Lady nodded.

"Fine."


End file.
